Star Ocean: Cyrus' Side
by Panzerraptor
Summary: Cyrus Splicer was a Californian Sophomore with a high IQ, incredible street smarts, and impressive fighting skills. One day, he gets sucked into a vortex that transports him into the SO3 universe. Will he survive? SPOILERS! Ch. 21 up FIN!
1. Prologue

Late Prologue

I was fooling around at the house and thought of an interesting prologue (even though it doesn't matter sense Ch. 12 is currently in production). Anyhow this should be funny. Short, but funny. It may remind someone of other kinds of scenes where a young negro (trying not to be offensive) screws the moment after being revealed. Sorta like that skit called "Superpimp" on some show like In Living Color. Anyway, let the torment commence. Again I apologize if some of you find this prologue offensive. But as Larry the Cable Guy once said, "I don't care who you are. That's funny."

In a universe embroiled in the battle between good and evil, one man must step up and become a legend. (Shows the Helre getting attacked by the Dasvanu and the Earth being bombarded by the Enforcer's blasts. A male figure approaches from the hall, shrouded in darkness.)

In order to do this, he must face overwhelming odds of deadly foes. (Clips show the young male defeating knights. The character is still shrouded in shadows.)

Defeat hordes of viscous enemies. (Clips shows the character defeating a large number of monsters. The character is walking closer.)

He must also unlock the powers that lie inside him. (Clip shows the boy using his infamous Shadow Slash. He's still walking down the hallway.)

And the most important of all... (He stops and a light from the ceiling reveals the young boy, Cyrus.) He must keep it real!

"Fo Shizzle!" Cyrus yelled. Suddenly, a siren was heard and lights of red, white and blue are flashing. "Oh shit, 5-0! Run!" Unfortunately, he doesn't know that right now.

(The theme "Gigantic Fleet" starts.)

(Vertical wide-screen showing a serious face on Fayt. Clips include him using his Blade of Fury on a couple of Black Brigade soldiers and his fight his victory against Biwig's lackeys.) "There's more where that came from! Lots more!"

(Horizontal wide-screen showing Roger with his arms folded and a cocky look on his face. Clips show him attacking a couple of Legion Dragons. Another clip also shows him feeling up Nel's leg, just to get slapped in the next second.) "A leader must always be improving."

(Vertical wide-screen showing Albel and his trademark death scowl. Clip shows him attacking Cyrus in a duel in a certain mountain pass. Also shows him in the battle against Crosell.) "It's not the great who are strong. It's the strong who are great!"

(Horizontal screen showing Peppita dancing. Clips show her somersaulting toward a group of Incapacitator Vases in the Hyda IV Evacuation Area. Also showing her shooting her cape a Proclaimer.) "I'll sign autographs... later."

(Vertical wide-screen showing Sophia bending over toward the camera waving. She fires her Ice Needles at a large mass of Stingers. Next scene shows her hugging Cyrus, even though he's trying to escape.) "Looking good, if I do say so myself."

(Horizontal wide-screen showing Cliff with a small smirk and a thumbs up. Clips show him using his Electric Fist against a group of Airyglyph Soldiers. Also show his Hammer of Might slamming on a Brass Dragon.) "Not bad, not bad."

(Vertical wide-screen showing Mirage with a clipboard in her arm smiling. Clips show her battling a Blood Beast. Next one shows her using Sphere of Might on a Basilisk.) "Devotion brings results."

(Horizontal wide-screen showing Nel with her arms folded and neck bent. Clips show her using Flying Guillotine against Cerberus. It also shows her destroying the Vendeeni's Transport Jammer.) "So long friend, judgement awaits you."

(Vertical wide-screen showing Maria twirling her laser gun and putting it back in her holster. A Clip show her transported down to the Castle behind the group. Next clip shows her firing at the Vendeeni Soldiers in the Shrine of Kadan.) "I like what I see."

(Horizontal wide-screen shows Adray spining his sword in his hand and returning it to his side. Clips show him defeating a horde of knights on the battle front in the Aire/Kirlsa hills. Another scene shows him evoking a large sphere of magic and hurls it at the Blue Dragon Zombie.) "Every battle is a lesson waiting to be learned."

(Vertical wide-screen shows Cyrus with his black glasses on, popping his collar to reveal a chain with bling. Clips show him performing Shadow Slash on Crosell. It also shows his fight against Lystara Catalysta inside his head.) "Ha! Seems you bitches got yo' asses served! Check it, chumps!"

Star Ocean: Cyrus' Side. Rated T for Teen.

"You got nothin' on me!"

(Logo appears just like the PS2 logo did.)


	2. Chapter 1

Star Ocean: Till the End of Time

Cyrus' Side

by Panzerraptor

Summary: Cyrus was your average-everyday-run-of-the-mill Californian Sophomore with an extreme knack for science, incredible street smarts, and impressive fighting skills. One day, he gets sucked into a time-space vortex that transports him into the SO3 universe. What's gonna happen now?

Author's note 1: I do not own the Star Ocean: Till the End of Time Director's Cut edition. Sorry for the spoilers.

Author's note 2: The Italics are thoughts of the character's.

Disclaimer: Star Ocean: Till the End of Time is property of Tri-Ace & Square-Enix. Some of the characters (except Cyrus) and quotes are trademarks of this game and the company that produced it.

* * *

Part 1.1: A Wild Ride

Cyrus' Wednesday started out like any other: bored, tired and groggy. Then again, the fifteen year old got up at 4:00 in the morning. He got dressed, ate his cereal, said farewell to his parents and left the house. He wore black hiking boots, black jeans, black Phat Farm Sweater and black driving gloves. His backpack was also black, no surprise; but it had blue pockets. He also wore his lucky, and favorite hat, a Rocawear Core Crown Hat. He made his way down two blocks to the bus stop where he waited for Regional Transit 56 to pick him up. "_Great, bet that bus is late again,"_ he thought. _" Man, this is whack. I come here every mornin' to get to school just so the driver can make me late. Whatever, I have a felling that somethin's gonna go down today. Maybe 'cause I bought that Star Ocean game. I can't get enough of it. I can't wait till I finally beat disc 2 and face Luther."_ Suddenly, a horn blew from the left. Cyrus got up to look. It was finally the bus. He was pretty surprised. Normally, he'd have to wait ten minutes for the bus to arrive. He made a casual little smirk and got on as soon as the bus arrived. "Well, this is weird. I'd expected you to come later. What happened Ryder?" Cyrus asked.

"The boss was complainin' 'bout 'We have gotten too many complaints from our passengers, saying you've been passin' them by.' Honestly, it ain't my fault that they're late. I'm only doin' my job." Ryder explained.

"Dang, guess he's seriously hatin' on ya." Cyrus said.

"You're tellin' me. Now he even wants me to work the night shift. So if I want to get ready for tonight, I need to hurry the hell up! So sit down quick!" Ryder shouted. Cyrus ran to the seat as quick as he could. He felt the bus starting to lift up. "This is your bus driver Ryder speaking," he said on the speakers. "We will be getting to the nearest destination in about a few minutes. I'm sorry if you'll fell any discomfort on the way but I'm a really busy man so I don't give a damn. This bus will be going above the speed limit, but hey; it don't matter so hold on to the rail of the seat so you don't find yourself glued to the ceiling. Just consider it as a warning and a fact that some of you have health insurance."

"_What? He's crazy if he's gonna make this 30 foot vehicle go at such speeds. No one put speed limits signs on the streets just so they make the roads look good. What's worse, I don't have no insurance! It's a miracle if I survive this journey with all four limbs."_ Cyrus thought. The bus went from 0-50 in a few seconds. Cyrus felt himself being smashed by the gravity. He held on to the rail with his left hand and his hat with his right. It was crazy. The vehicle was popping wheelies, and swinging its backside, left and right. Finally, the bus stopped at Cyrus' destination. Cyrus got up and moved with incredible imbalance. He got out of the bus and fell on the sidewalk outside.

"Have a good day in school," the bus driver hollered before he closed the door. As soon as the bus left, he got from the ground.

"_Man, thank god I had my lucky hat on!" _he though. He swept the dirt of his clothes, batted his hat clean, put it back on and left for school.

* * *

Author's Note 1: Being the revised version, I thought that it was time for you guys to know just how Cyrus is at his school before his adventure started.

* * *

Part 1.2: Gettin' Edumacated

Cyrus walked his way to the his high school, where he saw two of his companions talking on the front. "Hey Cyrus!" one of them called out.

"Jack, how's it hangin'?" he said as he walked up to him. Jack was Cyrus' best friend. They knew each other since the fifth grade. He wore a red Fubu sweater, green baggy pants, and a black Joker beanie. He wore white Adidas on his feet.

"It's cool."

"So did you finally finish that Star Ocean?" another of his friends asked. This one was a smaller Asian. He wore black eyeglasses, and a blue blazer. He wore a yellow bandanna and baggy red jeans. His shoes were also white, but with golden lining on the sides. He knew him since he transferred from the bay area in seventh grade.

"Not yet, Lude, but I'm getting there."

"You still haven't complete it?" Jack asked in a bored tone. "It's been a whole week!"

"Yeah, I know. You guys should get that game. It may take a while to complete, but it's worth it. The storylines great and the character design is blazing, dogs!"

"Sounds cool," Lude said in a simple voice.

"Yo dudes!" Jack said. Next thing anyone knew, he was doing the rhythm of the Chappelle's Show theme and dancing to it, as well. Cyrus was bobbing his head while Lude began to shuffle.

"Now let's change the sub," Lude said after they danced a few minutes.

"Yeah, you gonna ask that chick out?" Jack asked.

"What?" Cyrus said.

"You know, the one you wanted to go out wit fo' about two months."

"Yeah."

"Well, now's yo' chance," Lude said as he pointed to Cyrus' left. Off in the distance, Cyrus saw a emo girl with silky white skin, short black hair and brown eyes. She had baggy navy pants that matched a baggy vest she wore. She wore black boots and on her neck was a silver bracelet.

"Is it just me, or is Chamera looking hotter each day," Jack said insensitively. Cyrus glared at him and Jack quickly turned his head away, still smirking.

"Well, I guess it's another single life for the both of you," Lude said.

"What do you mean, homes?" Cyrus asked.

"Both you and her are still available. You're both also well known amongst this establishment. If you don't hurry Cyrus, someone else is bound to steal the lady's heart."

"Now that you brought that up, Lude," Jack said, "why do you hang with us anyway? You'd be better with them jocks or those smart dudes."

"Them guys aren't in my league. I'm a shizznit, remember? Besides, we're like the three home G's. There's no one else here that are like us. In more ways than others, we're just kick ass!"

"Got that right," Lude said.

"Damn straight," Jack said.

"Yeah, or ass kicked," a voice behind him said. Lude and Jack looked in front of them while Cyrus had to turn around. They saw a tall student, maybe Junior in level. He wore a short hair style and a Laker's basketball jersey that had Shaq's number and name when was still on the team. His pants were blue shorts that went past the knees.

"Not you, Tom," Cyrus said. "Or should I say, Tommy Shoeteeth, seeing that is your real name."

"What do you want anyway, jock?" Lude asked.

"Oh, nothin' much. I just overheard you talk about 'how you guys are da shizznit,'" he repeated in a mocking tone. "But what really brought my attention is how you say you can entice the likes of that babe over there."

"Cyrus has more skill than you have in your pinky," Jack said, raising his own pinky.

"You wish. If you forgot, you got no true status."

Suddenly, out of no where, a girl called out saying, "Hi Cyrus." Cyrus waved his hand at the girl and she, with her friends, giggled.

"You were saying?" Cyrus said.

"So you're known 'round here," Tom said. "Big whoop. You're still nothing. The only definition of shizznit I see in you and your friends are shit. Not 'da shit,' just shit."

"You best take that back!" Jack demanded.

"Yeah, you don't talk to us like that!" Lude said.

Cyrus smiled a smart smug. "You really don't get it do you? Just because you got a 'status' and may have some girls on you, means nothin'. Also you only got a pep squad, still means that you have cronies. What you don't know is, when I- we walk by, the chicks are lookin' at us. It don't matter that we aren't in some category. We're in a league of our own."

"Exactly," Jack said. "We keep it real! Those fools you call your homies are nothin' more than bitches. They don't have anything on us."

"You should also keep out of our converse, too," Lude said. "If all you want to do is just come and scrutinize us, then you're the pathetic one, not us."

Tom was yawning now, with his hand in front of his face. "You done?" Tom asked in a royal tone.

"Not yet," Cyrus said. "I have one more thing to say. You think you a great playa. The giant that overshadows us all. You should know you ain't. You're really just some little trick-ass scally-whop that's putting up a facade." Both of Cyrus friends were now laughing at what he just said.

"What did you say?" Tom asked in a pissed off tone.

"You heard," Cyrus replied flatly. "You're really nothing compared to us."

Tom was now really mad. "Look, I came here to have you join our group and leave these fools in their momma's garage! To make you a realize your true colors."

"Yeah, well you're question is finally answered."

"That's correct," Jack said. "Cyrus never ditches his home G's."

"We call that loyalty, scally-whoop."

Tom gave a stint look. "It seems that I will have to make you realize how screwed you really are. You all are nothing compared to me!" he yelled.

"You keep thinking that!" Jack yelled.

"I don't have to, bitch. I already know," Tom said in a serious tone. "Today, after school, you all better mark my words. You're goin' down."

"Ha! Like that will ever happen," Cyrus said.

"We'll see." With that said, Tom turned back and walked away.

"Wow, he really needs some priorities," Lude said.

"Oh man!" Cyrus yelped as he remembered something. "I forgot, Twenty-Fiddy wants to see me at lunch!"

"Twenty-Fiddy?" Lude said.

"What are you doin' dealin' with him?" Jack asked.

"It's for Chamera," Cyrus said.

"Like what do you have for Twenty-Fiddy?" Lude asked. "It's hard enough trying to find him. It's even harder trying to make a compromise."

"Just look inside." Cyrus opened his backpack and they looked inside. When they saw the item, all three chuckled.

"Alright, Cyrus," Lude said. "You got us." When Cyrus zipped his bag back up, the school bell was heard. "Well, time for more of this educational crap."

"Tell me about it," Jack said.

"Can't they tell we don't need this crap?" Cyrus said. "I got a 198 IQ, you got a 186 and Lude gots a 192."

"That's the California state standards for you," Jack said. "All about keeping the minorities in check. I swear this is a friggin conspiracy."

"Don't we all?" Lude asked.

"Well, later," Cyrus said.

"Bye," Lude replied.

"Hope yo' thing wit' Chamera works out," Jack said.

"So do I." The group went to their classrooms. Cyrus took English 3, Computer Technology and Chemistry. He had a test in English, but passed that easily. After an hour of each class, it was time for lunch where he rejoined his comrades. "Yo guys," he called. "Are you ready to meet Twenty-Fiddy?"

"Sure," Lude said. "Better than watching Jack talk about bean burritos and government."

"Hey!" Jack said. "They're connected in some way or another."

Cyrus shrugged. They left their bench and went inside the main building. In the hall, they looked around, making sure the coast was clear. Twenty-Fiddy was known for his dealings and abilities. He was even tried for an expulsion for selling the computer class' camcorders to the seniors. There wasn't actual proof of such a deal going down, so he was thrown into on sight for one day. After that close shave, Twenty-Fiddy became scarce and was rarely seen. Only a few knew where he held his operations, the janitor's closet. There was no one in sight and the three walked down the flight of stairs. The room was dark and a lamp shined above a pool table. Another shined over an empty chair right in front of them.

"Ah, Cyrus Splicer," the voice said. "It is an honor doing business with you."

"Yeah, okay," Cyrus said. "How about you show yourself. I like to get a look at the person I make deals with."

"Sure." Another light shined and a person was shown sitting in a chair on the other side of the table. He was also a sophomore. Wearing a taxi hat like the one Dave Chappelle wears. He also wore a green t-shirt black jeans. He wore a gold chain around his neck and rings on his fingers. It was the form that the person rarely seen.

"So you're the infamous Twenty-Fiddy," Lude said.

"Correct, Lude."

"How do you know his name?" Jack asked.

"Well Jack, I know everything about everyone. I may be cooped in a janitor's room, but that don't mean I'm actually oblivious to what goes on. Knowing this, that was why Cyrus came to me."

"So do you have it, T.W.?"

"I sure do," Twenty-Fiddy replied. He leaned to the side of his chair and pulled out an album from Green Day's latest album. "Here you go." Twenty-Fiddy slid the case over to Cyrus who stopped it from spinning by putting the tip of his index finger in the center. "Now for your part of the bargain." Cyrus pulled out a large bowl from his backpack. It was a bucket of KFC.

"As promised," Cyrus said. "A large bowl containing three breasts, four wings and two drumsticks." Twenty-Fiddy eyed the bowl with intent. His mouth was opened and it seemed that drool was dripping from the bottom of his mouth.

"Thank you, Mr. Splicer," Twenty-Fiddy said in a thankful voice and a tear in his right eye. "We should do more transactions in the near future."

"I'll think about it," Cyrus said. "Anyway, thanks."

"Don't mention it. Just go out there and make me proud!" Cyrus, Jack and Lude gave each other strange faces and walked back upstairs. They went to the large space outside where the groups hung out.

In one corner, you had your preps. Then the basketball court where Tom and his crew ruled. At the moment, the group that Cyrus and his team was focused on the rocker group in the corner. The three walked to the area. It didn't take long for Chamera to notice that Cyrus was coming her way. She grinned at Cyrus and Cyrus grinned back. "Hey, Cyrus," she said.

"Yo, Chamera. How you doin'?"

"I'm fine. Say, how did you do on that test in Chemistry?"

"Good. How about yourself?"

"Great, of course. Of course, Billy Jenkall might be absent for two days."

"Yeah. I guess now he knows Magnesium Oxide and Carbon compounds don't mix." They chuckled at the thought. Poor Billy made a mini explosion right in front of his face. The teacher took the eyebrow-less boy to the office and he had to stay home for two days. "Oh, and by the way, I have this for you..." Cyrus pulled out the Green Day album.

"Thank you, Cyrus!" she said. "I've been looking all over for this. How did you get it? I thought you were in that rap anyway?"

"That is true. But I like a little Green Day to start my mayhem. And for the item, I pulled a few strings here and there. The thing is yours."

"Cyrus... I-I don't know what to say..." she said with a blush.

"Well... How 'bout we go somewhere. You know, grab a bite or somethin'?"

"Are you asking me out?"

"Perhaps. What do you say?"

"Of course. Say, I heard you and your friends are going against Tom."

"That's true."

"You guys better be careful. He tends to use power in numbers."

"From the sound of that, she wasn't talking about exponents," Lude said.

"Gee, ya think?" Jack replied in a cynical voice. Lude and Cyrus shook their heads seeing that he didn't know what Lude meant.

"Look Cyrus, Tom will try to out power you," Chamera said. "Promise me you'll be alright."

"Don't worry," Cyrus reassured. "Me and my home boys were taught in self-defense. We're cool."

"That's right," Jack said. "Even if he brings in fiddy five-Os, he still can't stop us."

"That's great," Chamera said. "Nonetheless, be careful."

"We'll be fine," Lude said. "They don't have anything on us." The bell rang and lunch was over.

Cyrus had to take P.E., Trigonometry and Shop. In three hours, at two o'clock in the afternoon, school was over. Cyrus made his way to the front. Everyone was silent when he came forward. Next thing he knew, a large body, bumped into him and continued to pass him. The form stopped in front where a mach pit was starting to form. It was none other than Tom, and he was ready to kick some ass (namely Cyrus'). "Cyrus, glad you stopped by," he said. "I would've thought you'd run, seeing you have no chance!"

"Naw, that ain't my style," he said with his head bent down and hands in each pocket. "Besides, you really think I'd run from a jock such as yourself? Please," he scoffed.

"You should've, Splicer. You could've gone without broken bones."

"Sure, but where would the fun be in that?"

"How come you're so ready anyway? That training with that washed up crack head, Diogo?"

"What was that?"

"That so called 'martial arts instructor' couldn't train a flea to jump! He may of had a run back in the day, but let's face it. The fool's a washed up has been."

"One: that analogy was lame. And two: it depends what one sees. What you believe is just plain jumping and run and punching, it's more than that. It takes discipline."

"Yeah sure. If you think so, than come over here and show us what you got!"

"Us?"

"Oh I forgot. Come on out, dudes." Suddenly, four more opponents came to the scene. If they were all sized up to Cyrus, including Tom himself, they would've overshadowed him.

"Oh, goody," Cyrus said in a sarcastic tone. "More giant tricks."

"Are you sure you want to quit?" Tom asked. "This is your last chance."

"Sorry, but no. Like I said before: I never turn down a challenge."

"You little shit," Tom said in a low voice.

"Hold the phone, guys!" a voice said.

"If this is a party, don't forget to invite us!" another said. Cyrus turned around with a smile on his face. Coming through the crowd was his partners, Lude and Jack.

"Hey, what took you so long?" Cyrus said in a smooth tone.

"Eh... We need not look no more," Lude said.

"Not the 'Cats' line again?" Jack said.

"It was on 'Whose Line,' home G! Geez!"

"So, you two gonna help?" Cyrus asked. "Or are you gonna bitch about Broadway?"

"Hey, kicking ass is what I do best!" Jack said.

"This is more of an invigoration," Lude said. "And you know what they say, the bigger they are, the harder they fall."

"Quick, get me yo' speakers!" Cyrus said to Jack. Jack pulled out small speakers while Cyrus pulled out his MP3 Player. He set his music player to "America's Most" by Redman and Methodman. Somewhere in the crowd, Chamera began to watch with a concerned look on her face. In another part, Twenty-Fiddy also stood.

The battle started as Tom and his cronies charged at the trio. In a few seconds, Cyrus, Jack and Lude jumped up and kicked them down to the ground. Lude high jump kicked the enemy on the far left, Jack high jump kicked the far right and Cyrus double kicked the two in the middle, which included Tom. The four were down, but not out. They got up and attacked.

Jack's opponent tried for a Closeline from Hell, but Jack ducked and tripped his opponent at the same time. The enemy lost his balance, but didn't fall. He turned back just to see Jack wailing a few chops at him. The next attack was a quick and hard punch to the gut. Now the fighter staggered and fell hard on his behind. Everyone around the pit laughed. Jack rushed at the fighter and kicked him straight in the face with both feet. The enemy fighter was knocked out, with marks of two soles painted on his face. Jack brushed himself off.

Lude's opponent tried to kick him in the face, but Lude merely grabbed the ankle and twisted it. The foe crashed to the ground. Lude mocked him by signaling him to attack. The opponent was really mad now and threw a rally of punches and a series of kicks. Lude blocked and dodged when the need rose. Right before the flunky punched, Lude hopped on his chest and inserted his middle and index fingers between the enemy's shoulder and neck. In a few seconds, the foe slowly fell to his knees and collapsed to the ground. Lude jumped off before his adversary fell down completely and bowed to his unconscious body.

Cyrus was against Tom and his opponent. The Tom's flunky punched at Cyrus, but Cyrus arched backward. He jumped and used a monkey paw which made him go back even further. Tom than ran up at Cyrus, preparing for a grab, but Cyrus lowered himself and gave Tom a series of kicks. When Cyrus turned around, the opponent kicked at Cyrus, but Cyrus moved out of the way and the foot landed straight in Tom's stomach. Tom bent forward even more and spat some blood. The fighter looked at his wounded comrade with a shocked face. Cyrus guffawed at the event which really made the comrade mad. He continued his fight with Cyrus, but Cyrus jumped kicked him in the chin. After the enemy fighter got up, he was slightly dazed. Cyrus took this opportunity to use an attack trained by his teacher: the Break Beats. He raised the opponent by grabbing his leg and turned him over to his head. Then he spun him like a top and used the break dance move: the windmill. In a few seconds, the enemy flipped to his back after Cyrus kicked him in the face and was K.O.'ed.

Cyrus looked at Tom who saw all of his comrades on the ground. He stared at Cyrus and charged out of pure fury. He then pulled out a small knife. Cyrus saw the weapon and dodged. Tom turned back and slashed, but the arm was stopped by Cyrus and he thrust his elbow in the already wounded gut. The impact caused Tom to drop the weapon. Now Cyrus liked a fair fight. He was never one that tolerated unfair advantages, especially if they costed a life. He used his next attack: the Rocksteady. He pushed Tom back and used a series of jump kicks and swift chops. He then use the flare again, which swung his foot right under Tom's jaw. Tom flew up and slammed to the ground. Cyrus then launched himself over his enemy. His feet landed on Tom's chest. The battle was over and the fighting trio high fived one another.

"Yeah, we kicked ass, man!" Cyrus said.

"See, Tom," Jack said to the enemy as he raised his head. "You were no match for the terrible three, son!" Tom had a face of embarrassment and disgust. He realized he was to weak to stand and slammed his face back to the ground.

"That was truly a battle to remember," Lude said. "We are the best. Though Cyrus, I have never seen such moves executed before."

"Yeah, you could thank Master Diogo for those. If it weren't for him, I would've been shanked for sure."

"Cyrus!" Chamera yelled as she ran and embraced him. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

Cyrus rubbed under his nose and laughed. "Yeah, well... You know..."

"Hey, what's going on here!" an older voice yelled. "Why is there a mach pit here?"

"Quick, it's the Prince?" Jack said.

"Let's go," Cyrus said. The three hastily retreated from the scene.

As soon as their exit closed back up, a man in a gray suit emerged. It was none other than Principal Shmitzinger. He looked around at the chaotic crime scene. He only saw Tom and his friends laying on the ground, moaning. He then got his attention on the object that was right in front of his hand. It was the knife he used to stab Cyrus. He had a serious look on his face. "Tommy Shoeteeth!"

At that moment, all four of the fighters stood up from the yell. "Yes sir!" they said in unison.

"What is this," he said as he picked up the weapon. Tom was at loss of words. "Assault with a deadly weapon is on the grounds of an expulsion and criminal charges. You could kiss your ass good-bye, mister Shoeteeth!"

"Wait, sir!" Tommy and his group were held back by the campus monitors.

Meanwhile, Cyrus and his gang were about to go back home. "Cyrus," Chamera said. "You wanna go to Arden?"

"Sure, when?"

"How about Saturday, at twelve thirty?"

"Cool. I'll, see you then."

"Good bye, Cyrus." Chamera hugged Cyrus once more before she left. His two comrades also knew it was time to leave.

"Good job, home boy," Jack said.

"Yes," Lude said. "Not only did we defeat that jock, it seems you finally have the heart of a certain young lady."

"That's true," Cyrus said. "Well, later dudes." The three parted ways. Cyrus went down the same route that he used to come to the school.

* * *

Author's Note1: Hope you like the newer introduction. Read the next part. It finally talks about Cyrus' adventure beginning.

* * *

Part 1.3: The Start of Something New

Cyrus came back from a long day of learning and other stuff that he would knew was just a waste of his brain cells. He was contemplating on what he did while walking back to the bus stop.

"_Well, today was just another waste of time. But, I must admit, it wasn't all worthless. I was finally able to ask that rocker chic out. Damn she's hot! Then I had to go napalm fu on some fools. Use the Rocksteady and the Break Beats on them chumps. Bet they won't mess with me anytime soon," _Cyrus thought. _"All I care about right now is getting to the bus. I just hope it won't be Ryder drivin' again. I'm already suffering from whiplash and the neck's not the only place it stings." _

Cyrus was still walking to the bus stop until something in front of him caught his surprise. It was a portal in front of him. As it opened, bolts of electric currents were being released. He stood there an awe and terror. "Holy shizzle gizzngar! What the... What the hell is this?" Cyrus hollered. He regained his composure and looked at it, from 10 feet away.

"Holy shizznit! It's an Inter-Dimensional Time-Space Continuum Vortex! Why the heck is this thing opening. Unless something happened to the fabric or barriers or whatever, this ain't supposed to be here!" he exclaimed.

"_What am I gonna do? There are numerous possibilities that I might not make it back. Heh, this is a once in a lifetime thing. If I stay here, I'll miss my chance to actually have an adventure. I have a feeling that if this thing popped up more will pop up, or worse, it might swallow this world. I have no other choice but to dive in. Besides, I have my music here with me so I won't really miss much,"_ he pulls out his mp3 player. _"Well, I have no time to loose. I'm outa here."_

He made a running start into the wormhole. Black hat pointed backward, the bottom of his black jacket waving about. He dove right into the hole. As soon as he did, the wormhole closed in an instant. Inside the tunnel of time and space, Cyrus was flailing around and screaming at the top of his lungs. He was going to have the most exciting adventure of his life.

* * *

Author's Note 1: You liked it didn't you? Well if you didn't, I'd understand. Now things are gonna get interesting, cause this time, Cyrus is gonna meet Fayt Leingod & Sophia Esteed. 


	3. Chapter 2

Author's Note 1: You liked it didn't you? Well if you didn't, I'd understand. Now things are gonna get interesting, cause this time, Cyrus is gonna meet Fayt Leingod & Sophia Esteed.

* * *

Part 2.1: To His Surprise

In a lobby of a large hotel called the Grantier Resort, a blue haired college student wearing a white shirt, blue shorts and sandals sits down to take a rest from the battle simulator that he played. He exhales. Suddenly, a brown haired girl in a pool robe appeared on the scene with drinks. "Whoa," the boy exclaimed.

"Here you go," the girl said as she handed the drink to the boy.

"Ah, hi, Sophia… You startled me. I thought you were swimming down at the beach." the boy said.

"I was waiting for you, but you never came! You said you'd play a few games and then head right over…" Sophia said when she sat down.

The boy sipped his drink. "Uh… I'm sorry! I didn't plan on staying so long, but I got kinda sucked in…" he said.

"All right, well, that's what I thought happened. Didn't you say you had 'tons of homework to do' before we came to Hyda, anyway?" she said and stood up again.

The young boy arose quickly too. "But I was fighting so well today! And I leveled up a lot too, you know," he said.

"Yeah, yeah. How nice of you," Sophia replied in an upset tone.

"Hmm, someone's in a bad mood today."

"What do you expect? You'd rather play games than hang out at the beach with me!"

"Sophia?"

"Hmph!"

"You aren't…mad are you?"

"I'm not mad!"

"Do you…wanna go to the beach?"

"I swam enough. While somebody I know was having the time of his life, playing games all by himself!"

"So… Do you want to take a walk through the hotel? I bet it'll be fun. What do you say? C'mon! Please! Pretty please?"

"Hmm, well, if you want to hang out with me that badly, I guess it's all right…"

"Great, let's go. Time's a wastin'!"

"Okay!" The two were about to leave the room until they heard a low groan.

They looked behind them and saw a person in nearly all black clothing laying on the bench. They walked back to see the unconscious character. Lying on the bench moaning and groaning, under the light near the fountain was none other than Cyrus. He somehow escaped the tunnel of time and landed in this plain of existence. Seems his anxious wish had finally came true. "Hey, excuse me, are you alright" The boy asked as he shook Cyrus.

Cyrus was suddenly waking up. _"Where am I,"_ he thought._ "Am I alive? This place looks familiar... As if I've been here before." _He saw two people standing over him. _"Huh, what the..."_ Cyrus' eyes were wide open. He was beginning to sit up.

"Hey, are you okay." Sophia asked.

"Argh... Never better." Cyrus said before he put his hand on his forehead. "Say, could you tell me where I am?"

Sophia and the blue headed boy looked at one another in questionable amazement. "You're in the Grantier Resort Hotel on Hyda IV," said the blue head.

"Hyda IV," Cyrus started to think about this real hard. _"No way!" _He thought. _"That vortex sent me to my game! I've heard about gettin' interactive but this is whack man. Wait, this could just be coincidence."_

"Is something wrong," the boy asked again.

"No, I'm cool," Cyrus said. Though he was far from accepting the fact.

"Say, how about we introduce ourselves. My name's Sophia Esteed, this is my friend Fayt," the girl said and bowed.

"I'm Fayt Leingod. It's nice to meet you," Fayt said and bowed.

"Likewise. The name's Cyrus, Cyrus Splicer," he said then nodded his head. _"Fayt Leingod? Sophia Esteed? Oh yeah! I'm definitely in my game!" _

"Um, tell you what. You want to come with us?" Sophia asked.

"To where?" Cyrus asked.

"We're going to explore the hotel. And since it seems you only know where the lobby is..." she said.

"Um... Sure. That be cool. Is that alright with you, Fayt?" Cyrus asked.

"Yeah. That sounds good," Fayt said in agreement.

"First, let's make a quick stop to my room." Sophia suggested.

"Sure. Let's go." Fayt said. The three went up the floors by use of transporter. Cyrus still had a lot on his mind. But that didn't mean he wasn't too upset to know that deep inside him, he was sort of enjoying this.

* * *

Part 2.2: The Grand Tour

The two boys, Cyrus and Fayt were waiting on both sides of Sophia's door. Cyrus with his cap, head down and arms folded, was still thinking about this event. _"I can't believe this, I really am in the game. More than that, I've become part of it. Or, I think I have. Now this is crack o' lackin'," _he thought.

Sophia came out of the room with a pink tank top and blue jeans. "Hi, Fayt, hey Cyrus!" she said. 

"Hey," Cyrus greeted.

"Took you long enough! What were you doing all that time?" Fayt asked.

"Just changing. I didn't take that long did I? Besides, you kept me waiting—how long was it? Serves you right!" Sophia said. Cyrus made a faint snicker.

"Right, right…" Fayt said.

Sophia took Fayt's hand and tugged. "Shall we?" She asked.

"Okay, just don't yank my arm off!" Fayt said.

"So where are we going first?" Cyrus asked.

"Well, since we're all looking around the hotel, how about we go where you want first," Fayt said.

"Well, how 'bout the beach? Heard that this place has one. So how about we go there first." Cyrus said.

"Yeah, I guess we could go there. I think you would need some air after playing all those games." Sophia said.

"Yeah. Okay, let's go." Fayt said.

The group took the transporters on the west side of the hall. One at a time, they stepped off transporters. Next, they walked to the other side of the facility where they met a Tetrageniot staff employee. "Welcome to the Grantier Resort Hotel," she said. "Please come relax inside the hotel if you get tired out in the severe yet perfectly natural heat of this planet."

"Thanks for the tip." Cyrus said. They proceeded to the transporters. They then found another employee that was a blond.

"Welcome to Hyda IV's natural beach, the pride of the galaxy," She said. "There are nothing but natural living organisms here, from the small creatures living on the seashore, to the fish swimming in the sea. Absolutely no holography, robotics, or artificial organisms are used."

"Thank you," Cyrus said.

The group exit the room. They finally were at the beach. To Cyrus, it was more beautiful than in the game. They kept walking until they met up with a foxtail. "The whole idea of coming to a resort planet is to stretch out your tail and relax," the girl said. "But my friend has got her mind set on hooking up with a hot guy. I can't figure out why she had to come all the way to Hyda just to do that."

"Thanks for the heads up," Fayt said. "We'll keep that in mind."

They were walking around the beach until Fayt and Cyrus ran into the girl the foxtail warned about. "Well, hello there! What can I do for you?" Flirt said to them. She looked at them and nodded. "Say, you're kind of cute. And kinda single, hmm? You know, hanging out on this beach has got me as dry as a dog... How'd you like to come up to my room for a little drinky?"

Fayt scratched his head. "Um, uh... drinky?" Fayt said in a surprised tone.

"Um, shizznit..." Cyrus blirted.

Suddenly, Sophia showed up. "Fayt! You can't go around talking to just anybody! Gee!" she said after she stomped her foot.

"Uh oh..." Cyrus said silently.

"Oh Sophia." Fayt said after he turned around.

"'Oh Sophia?' Where's your brain Fayt?"

"This ain't pretty..." Cyrus went.

"Who's that? Your sister?" Flirt asked.

Fayt turned back to face Flirt. "My Girlfriend," he answered. "She's pretty cute, huh?"

"Wha-? I... who? What was that? Whaaat?" Sophia responded.

"Just play along," he whispered to Sophia.

"Y-yeah. Okay," she said.

"Well, anyway–thanks for asking, but I'll have to pass," he said.

"Yeah fine. I understand." Flirt said. "Hey, what about you. Would you like to come," she said to Cyrus.

"Sorry, as much as I don't like to refuse an offer from a girl as hot as you, but I already have someone," he said.

"Uhh, what a waste... Here I thought if I went to this EXPENSIVE resort I'd run into hot guys..." she said. "And when I finally find a guy or two who's my type, they're taken! Why do I always get the bad luck?"

Flirt starts to walk in between Fayt and Sophia. "Excuse me?" she yelled. Fayt moved back. "Thanks," and she kept walking.

"Er, sorry, Sophia." Fayt said.

"Yeah, our bad," Cyrus said.

"A-about what?" Sophia asked.

"I mean... I know I just made that up on the spur the moment, but I shouldn't have said that." Fayt explained. "Ah, but if I hadn't said that , she wouldn't have backed off. Right? So..."

"Yeah, and for record, she walked up to us," Cyrus said.

"You surprise me. I mean, you, my boyfriend?" Sophia said. "Don't worry, I don't mind. After all... It's not like I totally despise you, or anything."

"Well Fayt, I gotta admit," Cyrus complimented. " I bet a very small number of dudes couldn't repel a chic like that. You've shown intellect and maturity far past your years, homes. I respect that."

"Thanks. You did, too," Fayt replied.

"Yeah, well... I guess it's a skill that very few possess." Cyrus shrugged.

"Hey look. It's mom and dad!" Fayt said.

"Huh?" The group ran to the couple siting under an umbrella near the seashore.

"Oh, Fayt! You finally decided to get some sun," the woman said. "You were playing that game weren't you?"

"What if I was? It's just something I like to do." Fayt said.

"I know, but... Couldn't you forget about games for a while–at least while we're on this trip? Don't you think it's unfair to Sophia, after she took the time to travel with us?"

"You don't have to lecture me like that. I'm not a kid anymore, you know."

"Sometimes I wonder... At least, I still think you're a child every time you get so defensive like this," the woman said. "Well, you should just be happy that I still take the time to talk to you about things like this. That just shows how much I really care about you."

"Awww..." Cyrus said.

"Fayt. Who's this, a new friend of yours?" his mom asked.

"Oh, yeah. Cyrus, this is my mom, Ryoko Leingod. Mom, Cyrus." Fayt asked.

They shook hands. "Hello." Cyrus said.

"It's a pleasure," Ryoko said.

"And over there is my dad, Robert Leingod. He's the leading authority in Symbological Genetics." Fayt explained.

"That's cool!" Cyrus said, though, he already knew.

"Say, how about we go back inside," Sophia suggested.

"Right." Cyrus said after he scratched his head. The group went inside and took the transporters up again.

* * *

Author's Note 2: This part deals with Peppita Rossetti. It's also going to have the Vendeeni attack.

Author's Note 3: I know it's going to be long, but if you can; hang on a little longer. After the simulator thing, it's gonna have nothing but metal bar whoopin', mob rule, and the gotta-survive-the-chaos atmosphere.

* * *

Part 3: From Simulator to Survival

The group walked throughout the hotel. Then they found themselves on the East side of the facility where they stood in front of a door. "Hey, I wonder what's on this side of the hotel?" Fayt said.

"Yeah, I'd like to see what's in there too," though Cyrus had a pretty good idea. "How about you, Sophia?"

"Okay, let's go."

The three went inside the room. They found out that the place wasn't at all empty. They find out it was a room filled with circus performers. A lively girl who was digging through a box of supplies "greeted" them. "Whaaat? Who are you? This is the Rossettis' dressing room! Hmm? Oh, I know! You want my autograph, don't you!" the lively girl said. "Ah well, gotta keep the fans happy… Usually, I'd be pretty mad if someone just came barging in like that, but you're so cute I'll make an exception this time."

"Ah… Umm… You said the Rossettis?" Fayt said whimsically.

"What? You didn't know our troupe's name? Don't go forgetting it, now! Say, what's your name?"

"Fayt… But…"

"I'm Sophia."

"The name's Cyrus"

"Right" the girl said. She skipped behind Fayt and pulled out a black marker. She starts drawing on his shirt. "To…my…darling…Fayt… From the Fairy of Illusions, Peppita Rossetti… All done!"

Sophia walked behind Fayt to see what happened. Cyrus walked behind too. "What the?" Sophia said in shock.

"Holy shizznit!" Cyrus went in shock as well.

"Ah… Hey! You can't just draw on somebody's shirt!" Fayt said when he turned around.

"I'm think she just did." Cyrus sneered.

"Huh? What? I thought you wanted my autograph?" Peppita said.

"Nobody said anything about wanting an autograph!" Sophia said.

"Huuuuh? But…I mean…wha? But I thought… Then…you want my mama's autograph? Or…my papa's?" she asked. "You can't want Gonnella the Clown's autograph, or Ursus the Strongman's…right?"

"No, we're not really looking for anyone's autograph…" Fayt said.

"Huh! Well, what then…are you a salesman? Nah… Come to think of it, you look like the kinda guy who's never done an honest day's work in his life." she said.

"Huh! And yet your supposed to be handsome," Cyrus said.

"I know! You're here to collect on a loan! You're too early! That loan's good until next month, they promised!"

"No…no! Who are the Rossettis, anyway? And what's with this 'Fairy of Illusion' stuff?" Fayt asked.

"Hmmmmmm…okay, soooo, umm… You three are just lost?" Peppita said.

"Well, we're not really lost…"

"Oh no! You're robbers!"

"No, not that either."

"Then what are you? You're not one of my fans, you're not here to collect on our loan, you're not lost… So what do you think you're doing barging into our room like this?"

"Um, I'm sorry for barging into your room. We were just taking a little walk, checking out the place… Isn't that right, guys?"

"Mmm-hmm," went Sophia

"Yep," Cyrus said.

"A walk?" the girl said in a dumbfounded manner.

"Yeah, a walk," answered Fayt.

"Barging into people's rooms isn't called 'taking a WALK!' That's for burglars, or lost kids, or stalkers, or groupies…"

"Uh…okay. Then… We're lost."

"Let's get out of here, Fayt," Sophia whispered.

"Good idea," Fayt said.

"Good as gone," Cyrus stated.

"So you WERE lost. That explains it. And I thought you were my very first fan…" the girl said as she made circles on the floor with her finger. "Ah well, it's not like I've performed yet. So, it did seem a little strange."

"You're a performer?"

"That's right. We're the Rossetti Troupe, and we bring you a fleeting vision of the future! I'm your fairy guide, Peppita Rossetti." she said and spun. "Well, if you want to hear it in plain Terran, we're a circus troupe, and I am sort of the host."

"Oh… So this shirt with your signature's going to be worth something?"

"Of course! It's the first autograph I ever signed!"

"The first?"

"Tomorrow's my debut. In six months, why, you could buy a whole planet with that shirt!"

"Oh yeah? Amazing. An entire planet. I guess I'll have to take good care of it."

"Hey… You don't believe me?"

"No, I believe you. I'm sure you'll be dynamite on the stage."

"Teehee… Thanks! I'm in a good mood, so I'll give this little present to you, my first fan!"

Peppita handed a ticket to Fayt. "Huh… A ticket?" Fayt asked.

"Yeah, our show's tomorrow! You'd better not miss it! After you see us do our thing, you'll want to treasure that autograph for the rest of your life!"

"Gee, thanks. I'm looking forward to the show."

"Great! See you later, Fayt!" The three left the Rossetti Troupe's room.

"Well, that was fun," Sophia said.

"Hey Fayt, the next time you want to see what's behind a door, don't." Cyrus joked.

The group walked to the game room. Inside, Fayt had his eyes glued to something that, to him; was interesting. It was none other than a new battle simulator.They approached the combat simulator.

"Games again? But you were just playing! Keep playing games all the time like that and you'll turn into a brainless muscleman!" Sophia stated.

"Why don't you give it a try, Sophia? It's really fun." he persuaded.

"But isn't this one of those combat simulators? Don't you have to fight? No can do… I don't like these kind of games."

"Don't worry. I'll protect you."

"But…"

"I'd never let you do anything dangerous. I promise. C'mon, try it!"

"Well… Okay. If you say so… I guess I could give it a try."

"What about you, Cyrus?"

"Yeah, sure. Let's do it." Though, the only reason he agreed was so he could improve his skill especially for later. Back in his time and space, not only was he the baddest rapper, but he was a student of a great teacher who worked at the local dojo.

"Then it's settled. Let's start at an easy level since you're a beginner. You'd prefer a character that uses symbology from a distance rather than one that fights up front, right?" Fayt asked.

"Yeah… Well… It won't hurt, will it?" Sophia asked.

"Don't worry. Beginner's level doesn't hurt at all, really."

"Okay… I'll give it a try."

"All right then, we're about ready." The simulator room opened up and the trio entered the game room.

"Welcome to the Battle Simulator. Please set Battle System parameters." the computer system advised.

"What do you wanna do, Sophia? Let's start from the beginning… You wanna take a look at the instructions?" Fayt asked.

"I dunno… Should I?" Sophia asked.

"You probably should. Otherwise it won't be much fun."

"Okay, I will." The three read the instructions. For once, Cyrus was actually reading, for something besides reading about science related articles and stuff of hip-hop. They finished reading the instructions.

"All right, let's play. Computer, start," Fayt said.

"Player 1: Fayt Leingod. Character: Sword Master Adonis Klein. User level: AAA.

Player 2: Sophia Esteed. Character: Flare Witch Cecilia Femina. User level: E.

Player 3: Cyrus Splicer. Character: Sword Master Walker Kioto. User level: E.

Battlefield: Remote City of Listia. Monster level: E. Setup complete. Continue?"

"Okay. We're ready." Fayt said.

"Preparing to commence. This Simulation System may abort a game if it detects that player safety is at risk." the computer warned.

"I already know that. Just start."

"Confirmed. Commencing game."

The battle had started. The trio faced 1 Moa and 2 Poisonous Bettles. Fayt charged at the Moa. Cyrus also charged at the Poisonous Beetle on the right side. Sophia was focusing her attack on the other Poisonous Beetle. The two swordsmen were slicing the enemies in a short time. Fayt finished first and went to the remaining beetle that was about to attack Sophia. Cyrus finished shortly afterwards. They ganged up on the insect. In no time, the battle was over.

Sophia sighed then said, "Sigh… That wore me out…"

"But wasn't it fun?" Fayt asked.

"Well, it wasn't too bad, I guess."

"If you ask me," commented Cyrus, "That was pretty amazing."

"What do you say we stop now and go get a bite to eat or something? You look pretty bushed," Fayt said.

"Yeah, I'm beat," Sophia added.

"I agree," said Cyrus. "It might have been fun, but that got me tired."

"Ha hah, you two need more exercise!" Fayt said.

"I'll have you know that I'm pretty healthy for my age and size," Cyrus exclaimed

"Hmph. Guess I'm just a fatty," Sophia said.

"No one's saying that. Sheesh… Hey! Let's go find my mom and dad," Fayt explained.

"Right."

Cyrus gave a small smirk. _"Though I'm afraid food 'll have to wait,"_ he thought. _"Any minute now, Hyda IV 'll be under siege."_

Suddenly, a small rumble caught the group by surprise. "What the?" Fayt yelped.

"Level two tremor detected. The system will be temporarily deactivated for your safety. We apologize for any inconvenience," the system responded.

"An earthquake?" Fayt thought,_ "But Hyda IV is a stable world with no tectonic activity! There shouldn't be any earthquakes."_

Suddenly, a stronger tremor shook the ground. Fayt caught Sophia who landed on him. Sophia screeched, Fayt groaned & Cyrus lost some of his balance.

"_They're here!"_ Cyrus thought as he looked up.

"This is an emergency alert. Hyda IV is currently under attack by unidentified spacecraft. All civilians should follow immediate evacuation instructions on the nearest console. I repeat: All

civilians…" the computer ordered.

"Computer! What's going on?" Fayt asked.

"Remote Station #7, Hyda III, and Hyda IV are currently under attack by unidentified ships. Remote Station #7 has scrambled its own ships to mount a counterattack, but they are outnumbered and therefore unable to provide evacuation assistance to Hyda IV."

"An attack by unidentified ships?"

"Standby for video display," A video of the chaos outside was viewed. A large battleship fired at the city and a plum of fire was a sign of utter destruction.

"I don't believe it..." Fayt said in disbelief.

"As an emergency measure, all transporters have been directly linked to the Evacuation Terminal. Please commence evacuation by following the established route. I repeat: Please commence…"

"Fayt..." Sophia said in a scared tone.

"Oh man!" Cyrus said in a low tone. He now didn't want to believe that he part of this game. Unfortunately, he had to face the facts. He was stuck in this dimension with no way out.

"Don't worry, Sophia. I'll stick with you," he assured.

"Th-thanks."

"And to help calm you both down, I'll also tag along," Cyrus said.

"We appreciate it. Thank you."

"_But who could be attacking us? Never seen ships like those before… I wonder if Mom and Dad are all right?_" he thought. _"First things first. We gotta get out of here."_ "Let's go," he said to them.

"Yeah," Sophia replied.

"On it," Cyrus said. The three left the simulator and were in the game room.

"Hey, Fayt. I'm really worried about your mom and dad. Do you think they're okay?" Sophia asked.

"I don't know. But at any rate, we gotta get somewhere safe fast. Sure, I'm worried about my mom and dad, but we need to think about ourselves right now," Fayt said.

"Exactly. We gotta jet. We'll think about what to do after we escape in one piece," Cyrus said.

"Yeah. You're right. Let's go." Sophia said. They quickly bolted out of the room. As soon as they left, a kiosk man started to panic.

"Oh no… Wh-what am I gonna do… No, I gotta relax, relax. First of all, I got to get away from here." He ran out the door. Then a mother grabbed her kid and they both hurried out. In the hall, Fayt stopped.

"Fayt, what's wrong?" Sophia asked.

"The Rossetti Troupe! We gotta see if they're alright."

"Let's go then. Though I think are time is numbered." Cyrus said. They ran to the Rossetti Troupe's suite. They found Peppita and her friends still in the room.

"What're you sticking around here for?" Fayt said. "Didn't you hear the announcement? We gotta get outta here."

"Well Fayt, I could ask you the same question. What are you doing here?" Peppita asked. "Hurry up and go before it's too late."

"'Hurry up and go?' So you're saying you guys are staying here?" Fayt asked.

"We're waiting for my mama and papa," She answered. "If we leave now, we'll miss them, won't we? But forget us. What about you guys, Fayt? Why are you still here? Whether you're gonna evacuate or trying to find somebody, you better get a move on."

"Yeah, Fayt. We should go find your mom and dad right away," Sophia said. Cyrus folded his arms and shook his head in agreement.

"You're right. Whether we try to find my parents first or just evacuate immediately, the situation's gonna worsen the longer we take. Okay, let's hurry Sophia and Cyrus."

They left the Rossetti Troupe to wait for their comrades. Cyrus, Fayt & Sophia dashed to the transporters room. In there, they found the Tetrageniot Hotel Employee. "Due to the state of emergency, all transporters have been redirected to send guests to a special floor, where a large transporter waits to take you to the Emergency Shelter."She informed. "After the arrival of all guests at the shelter has been confirmed, the transport jammer located in the evacuation facility will be activated. Please evacuate in an orderly and speedy manner."

They stepped inside the transporter and arrived on the floor. They left the room and found people running, but they also saw Robert and Ryoko Leingod heading to the area. "Hey!" Fayt shouted.

Robert and Ryoko turned around. "Uncle Robert and Aunt Ryoko!" shouted Sophia.

"You guys are alright!" Cyrus exclaimed.

"I'm glad you're all here." Robert said.

"You guys too, dad." Fayt said.

Ryoko embraces Sophia. "What a relief. I was so worried," Ryoko said.

"What's going on, Dad? Is Aldian attacking?" Fayt asked.

"Probably not. From the looks of their weapons, it's most likely…" but he cut himself off.

"Most likely…what?" Fayt asked.

"_The Vendeeni."_ Cyrus thought to himself with his head down and the hat's brim covering his face.

"Never mind—we must get out of here. Let's go." Robert said.

The party walked to the next section of the facility until a soldier stopped them at the way to the transporter. "Please wait here," the soldier said.

"Is something wrong?" Robert asked.

"There's a long line to use the transporter up ahead. You'll have to wait your turn here," he insisted.

"I see. We'll wait, then."

Suddenly, a large bang followed by an aftershock came. Then a second soldier ran over. "Damn! How'd they get in this far?" he soldier said. "Get going! Keep moving forward!" he commanded.

"Let's get out of here!" Sophia said.

"Yeah!" Fayt said.

"Time to vamoose." Cyrus said.

Another quake with larger magnitude occurred. "Here they are!" shouted a Vendeeni soldier.

"Run for it!" again, the second soldier commanded. Shots from both soldiers were fired, but the Vendeeni wasted them in no time.

"Robert —" Ryoko started.

"Yes—as I suspected."

"Dad?" Fayt yelled.

"Run, you two!"

"Uncle Robert?" Sophia shouted.

"Dr. Leingod? What are—" Cyrus said

"Just get out of here!" Robert said

"But!" Fayt was interupted by his mom.

"Get moving now! You have to protect her!" Ryoko said.

"That's right, hurry! Don't worry about us!" Robert replied. A breif pause filled the room. "It's all right. We'll be at the Evacuation Facility soon." Robert said.

"Promise, Dad?" Fayt asked.

"Promise!"

"Let's go, Sophia! Come on Cyrus!"

"Okay!"

"'Ight!" Fayt runs off, Sophia takes a bow and Cyrus takes a bow as well to the Leingods. Then they start catching up with Fayt.

"They're getting away! Use the incapacitator!" a Vendeeni soldier yelled. They three ran, but they were caught by three Incapacitator Vasses from the behind. Fayt and Cyrus, armed with metal pipes; charged at the robots while Sophia was hitting them with symbology emanating from her own metal pipe. One of the enemies tried to use Chaos Laser, but it missed its targets. The two "pipesmen" pummeled their opponents. The battle was over in a matter seconds. After the battle, the three were trapped in a corner.

"Dammit!" Fayt growled.

"I'm scared."

"Don't worry. Just stay behind us."

"Yeah, I dealt with can openers tougher than these things," Cyrus said.

"O-okay," Sophia said.

"_What are we gonna do?" _he thought_ "There's no end to these… Huh?"_ Out of no where, an Incapacitator Vass was stepped on and destroyed. "What the heck is that?" Fayt said in surprise.

"Hey Fayt, Sophia, Cyrus. You okay? You hurt?" a small girl's voice asked.

"Is that–" Sophia said.

The girl smiled. "Peppita?" Fayt said shocked. She leapt off of Ursus and walked over to them.

"I came to check out what all the racket was about and found ya guys in trouble…" she explained.

"Well thanks for the back up, Pep." Cyrus said.

"Don't mention it."

"Lil' lady?" Ursus said.

"Whatdaya want Ursus…" the group suddenly went into shock. "What the?" It seemed that there were more Incapacitator Vasses coming to them.

"Dang, these things just don't know when to give up." Cyrus said

"Man! This is NOT what we need right now. Ursus, take care of that one! Let's go, you guys!" Peppita said. The four characters fought and defeated the robots. "There's more?" Peppita said.

Then, another group of those robots showed up, but they were defeated the same way.

"Phew… Piece of cake!" Peppita said.

"Thanks for the help." Fayt said.

"No problemo! But we should get outta here," Peppita said. There'll be more of those things coming! It's already a complete disaster over that way. C'mon, let's get outta here!"

"A complete disaster? But, my parents!" Fayt turns and tries to get through, but Sophia and Cyrus block his way.

"Hey, wait a sec! Fayt? Forget it! Didn't you hear Peppita? It's too dangerous back that way!" Sophia advised.

"But!"

"Forget it!"

"Sophia's right," Cyrus said. "You'll get killed if you go over there." _"Or captured,"_ he thought.

"Come on you three! I already said it was too dangerous!" Peppita said.

"Please, stop him! He says he's going back!"

"What? Back…there?"

"Mom and Dad are back there! I have to go help them!" Peppita blocks Fayt's path. "Outta my way!" he ordered.

"Didn't you hear me? It's an inferno back there!"

"It's way too dangerous!" Sophia said.

"We ain't gonna have you do somethin' stupid, Fayt," Cyrus said.

"C'mon you guys, out of my way!"

"Ohhh, that's it! Ursus?" Peppita yells.

Ursus walks over and picks Fayt up on his shoulders in a submission hold. Fayt starts to flail on the Rondo Lunkian "Lemme go, lemme go!" he yells.

"Look, we'll all die if we don't get out of here, now!" Peppita councils.

The group heads to the transporter and find themselves greeted by the commanding officer in the room. "Welcome to Iruba Shelter #5. This is an evacuation shelter located underneath Hyda IV. Please wait in your assigned rooms until the rescue ship arrives. You are allowed to move freely about the facility, but there are some restricted areas. Please refer to the consoles or ask the nearest official for detailed instructions." Fayt replies in nodded agreement.

"All right, then… Well, we're going now." Peppita suggests. Fayt looks away in silent angst. There was a long silence. "Hey... cheer up," She and Ursus leave the room.

"Fayt..." Sophia says.

"...Shall we go? There's nothing left to do here, anyway."

"Uh, yeah. I'm sure your parents are okay. Don't worry..."

"Yeah. I'm sure your mom and dad will be here at anytime, just be patient," Cyrus said.

"...Yeah, I know. Let's go."

"Oh, one second, please," the soldier said. "You've been assigned to room

#506. Remember that."

"Okay. 506, got it."

"I expect the rescue transports will be here soon. Please try to relax and wait."

"Okay," Sophia said after she bowed. They went outside the room and proceed to Rm. # 509, where the Rossetti Troupe resides.


	4. Chapter 3

Author's Note 1: Sorry for the late update. Had so much other stuff to do. Thank you for waiting patiently.

* * *

Part 3.1: There's Something About Rossetti

Inside the room, the Rossetti Troupe were having a meeting. It was mainly because the Vendeeni soldiers interfered with their entertaining affairs. "I'm just glad that everyone is okay," Piccolotto, ring master of the show and father of Peppita, said. "Alright, time to discuss our business plans… Hmm?"

"What? Fayt?" Peppita said. Later on in the room...

"Ahhh, your parents…" Piccolotto said in a sad tone.

"Ah well, what can you do, hey? Hey, at least you're still alive, eh?" Gonnella the clown said in a sneer.

"Ahh, Gonnella! You should really watch your tongue!" Peppita snapped.

"No, it's okay. It's just like he said. Even if I went to help them, I wouldn't have been able to do anything… If only I was a little stronger…" Fayt said.

"Fayt…" Sophia said.

"I know how you must feel, homes," Cyrus said.

"Strength, it's not enough. You can't beat them," Ursus advised.

"He's right. It's not your fault. I bet they were professional soldiers… There's nothing we can do against people like that," said Dulcenia, mother of Peppita and circus diva.

"And, you know… Just because they didn't make it to this evacuation facility doesn't mean your parents are dead. You know, they might be hiding out somewhere. Don't give up so soon," Piccolotto said.

"Or, they might've been captured or something, eh," Gonnella said.

"Gonnella!" Peppita said in a tone ofangst and tried to gang up on him, but Ursus moved her away.

"It's all right. If they've been captured, then you can go rescue them," the strongman said.

"Anyway, you'll just have to wait a little longer. What could you possibly do right now? We don't even know what's going on," Piccolotto wisely counciled.

"Yeah… You're right," Fayt agreed.

"Why don't you go to your room and rest a bit? You're too tired to do anything right now," Dulcenia requested.

"Or ya could just rest here with us. Wouldn't you feel safer here with everyone?" Peppita asked.

"Thank you, but I'm fine. I want to think things over, anyway." Fayt said.

"Uh, okay." Fayt and Cyrus left the room. Sophia respectfully bowed and walked out herself.

"So, what do we do now," Fayt asked.

"There's an Expelian healer around this joint," Cyrus proposed. "How about we go there, get patched up, and go back to our room." They traversed to the room to be taken care of. After they were healed, the group took the eastern route, figuring that they could look around a bit. Fayt then noticed a familiar girl sobbing on the stairs.

"Hey, it's..."Sophia said.They walked over and sure enough, it was Peppita with Ursus standing by her side.

"Hey, Fayt," she said. "Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"Do you think, maybe, I should have minded my own business that time?"

"That time?"

"Yeah, you know, when we were escaping to this place, I had Ursus grab you. That's why you got separated from your family. It's all my fault, isn't it?"

"Peppita..." Sophia commented.

"You don't really think that... Do you?" Cyrus asked.

"That's not true," Fayt said. "I would've been killed if you guys hadn't stopped me. It's all right. Don't worry about it."

"Oh... well that's a relief," Peppita said.

"Of course. Why would you ask such a thing?"

"Umm... It's nothing. I just kinda worried about it."

The three left the scene and went to their room. It was there that Sophia felt signs of fatigue. "Sophia? You okay?" Fayt asked.

"Yeah… I think."

"You're exhausted. You should rest,"

"That's right." The party led Sophia to her bed. She lays down and puts the cover on her.

"Sorry."

"Don't worry" Fayt said.

"Right," Cyrus said. "This was a weird day for all of us."

"Um… Fayt, Cyrus?"

"What is it?" Fayt asked.

"Will you stay here until I fall asleep? I don't want to be alone," Sophia asked after she covered herself.

"Sure, I'll stay. Just relax and go to sleep." Fayt said.

"Don't worry, I'll be here, too," Cyrus replied.

"Thanks."

"Anytime," Cyrus said. Sophia fell asleep.

"Well, I better get some sleep, too." Cyrus said as he got in his bed and turned to his side.

"Good night..." Fayt approached his bed and sleeps.

* * *

Part 3.2: Welcome to the Helre

Later on at twilight, Cyrus wakes up. _"Oh man. I can't believe I made it this far in one piece,"_ he thought. _"Now all I have to worry about is if my escape pod on the Helre'll get to Vangaurd III and if they'll let me go to Elicoor II with them and not some other planet."_

"Hey Cyrus, are you awake?" the whispering voice of Fayt asked.

"Sup, Fayt."

"Do you think I'll ever see my parents again?"

"Fayt, believe me, you will. I bet you right now that they're still alive and waiting to see you."

"Thanks..." They went back to sleep. Suddenly, after 3:52 A.M. an alarm went off. The two sat up. "W-what now?" he yelled

Sophia started to wake up. "Fayt… What's that sound?"

"Sounds like they're going to make an announcement."

"This is an update for all refugees," the announcer stated. Fayt looked up. "We now know the recent raid on the resort planet Hyda was a surprise attack by Vendeen. Remote Station #7 mounted an attempt to defend Hyda IV, but it was thwarted by a tactical Vendeeni strike. Currently, the Pangalactic Administration is scrambling ships from surrounding regions, but Vendeeni forces still have control of this sector. We request that all civilians begin boarding rescue shuttles for immediate evacuation to Remote Station #6. Please do not panic. Refer to the nearest console or attendant for further instructions."

"Great. We've been attacked by space sharks?" Cyrus cried.

"Sophia, we gotta go…You okay?" Fayt asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. A little sleep helped me calm down," Sophia said.

"Hold on just a little longer. We'll be safe once we reach Remote Station #6."

"Okay."

"Cool. I get to go on a ship!" Cyrus stated. "Look out galaxy, Cyrus Splicer's comin' at ya! Can you feel it?"

Fayt goes to the computer and asks, "Computer. Tell me the present location of Robert and Ryoko Leingod."

"The present location of the specified individuals is unknown."

"What do you mean 'unknown'?"

"Both Robert Leingod and Ryoko Leingod's positions were lost on Galactic Year 772-12141923."

"Lost? What then?"

"The information system is currently experiencing technical difficulties. Confirmation is not possible at present."

"What? Oh no!"

The three hurried to the transporter room. They were on board a Federation transport ship and greeted by a person that worked there. "Welcome to the Federation transport ship GFSS-12372 Helre. You must have been through a lot. We will soon be departing for Remote Station #6. The observation bay is located directly through the corridor leading out of this room. Please wait there until we reach our destination. Gravitic warp will get us there shortly."

The group left the room and were in the east bay of the ship. "So this is a Federation transport ship…" Fayt said.

"It's not the West Coast," Cyrus said, then he saw one of the female attendants and smirked, "but it's not bad either."

They move on through the halls. When they entered a room at the end of the bay, there were many people looking at a monitor. "Hey, Fayt. What's that? They're all watching something," Sophia said.

"Huh? You're right… What is that? Something on the monitor?"

"Let's take a look."

"Okay." They went over to check it out. They were in shock just like the rest of the watching audience. "Oh no! It's worse than I thought. This is horrible!" Fayt said.

"Argh... This is just jacked up!" Cyrus exclaimed.

"We are about to enter gravitic warp to escape the battle zone," was officially announced. "I repeat: We are about to enter gravitic warp to escape the battle zone. All evacuees prepare for warp turbulence." The ship sped through space and was traveling through sub-space excelling the speed of light.

* * *

Author's Note 1: Okay, here's what you've all been waiting for. The attack on the Helre. Will Cyrus make it out alive? If he does, will he land on Vangaurd III? The suspense is killing you, ain't it? (maniacal laughing)

* * *

Part 3.3: Chaotic Course

Later on, the three were asleep on a booth in the lounge. Fayt finally woke up.

"Mmm… Fayt…?" Sophia awoken.

"Oh, I woke you up. Sorry."

"No, it's all right. Where do you think we are now?"

"I wonder? There haven't been any announcements yet."

"We should ask one of the crew."

"Yeah, good idea," Fayt replied. He turned around and saw Cyrus laying on his back, snoring. He called his name and gave him a nudge.

"Holy Coelophysis!" Cyrus said in a startled tone. "Oh, my bad."

"Sorry. You okay?" Fayt asked.

"Yeah, it was just... Never mind. So what's up? Miss somethin'?"

"No. We were just going to talk to one of the crew members. Wanna come along, Cyrus." Sophia asked.

"Sure. We may be relatively safe on this ship, but it doesn't hurt to stick together, right?"

"Right," Fayt agreed.

The group left the lounge and went to the staircase room of the Helre. They found that a very peeved man was already conversing with one of the attendants. "Hey, you. What's the big idea, letting the Vendeeni forces get this far? Maybe it happened during nap time on Remote Station #7?" the male Earthling shouted.

"I'm sorry, but this particular incident is currently under investigation. We have no further comments at this time," the petty officer stated.

"What are you trying to pull? Do you have any idea who I am?"

"A dude forgetting to take his penicillin?" Cyrus said under breath. Sophia and Fayt snickered silently.

"No matter who you are, I cannot say anything more at this time. Please, return to the lounge."

"Don't you play games with me! Bah! Talking to you is a waste of time. Get me the captain! I want to speak with the captain!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that. As long as the captain is the commanding officer aboard this ship, his orders are absolute. My orders from the captain state that I am not to allow civilians to enter any area but the lounge, for any reason," the official stated.

"What? You blithering idiot! I'll remember you! I'll use my influence to get you canned the second I arrive on Remote Station #6!" the earthling threatened.

"Be my guest," the officer cooned.

"Hmph! You'll regret this!" He turned around to leave, and saw the group. "Get out of my sight!" he yelled. Everyone moved out of the way and the man left the room.

"Well, he must be a very popular guy," Cyrus sarcastically stated.

"Tell me about it," Sophia said. The group went back to the lounge. Meanwhile, on deck...

"Navigator? Status report," Commodore Volga, Captain of the Transport Ship Helre requested.

"Yes captain. We were cruising at warp 15 on course 231, mark 330 when the gravitic warp field collapsed and the computer detected an anomaly, forcing us to return to conventional space."

"Computer, what causes the ship's warp field to collapse?"

"…There is not enough data to determine the cause."

"All right. Even if you can't determine the cause, how about a theory?"

"Prior to the collapse, sensors detected a space-time disturbance. Our database does not contain any record of such a disturbance, but there is a 77 probability it was the cause of the collapse."

"Space-time disturbance? Come to think of it, Vendeeni military technology is based on space-time manipulation."

"That is not an established fact, but the Federation Institute of Technology has theorized this is the case."

"So, it was likely a Vendeeni attack that stopped us, then."

"Screen, on!" the navigator said.

"Damn! Divert all power to shields! Evasion course 291, mark 030!"

"Course entered." Meanwhile, in the lounge...

"_Well, guess it's judgement day for me,"_ Cyrus thought.

"Fayt…" Sophia said in a worried tone.

"This is your Captain speaking." he announced. "Our ship is currently under attack by a Vendeeni battleship. Our gravitic warp engine has already been disabled, which means escape is not an option. All power has been diverted to our shields to buy us some time, but I wanted you all to know: our chances are slim. I had hoped to transport you all the way to Remote Station #6, but it seems that is now beyond my power. All evacuees are requested to proceed to the ship's escape pods. Please remain calm and follow the instructions of the attendant nearest you as you board your pod. …Good luck to you all."

"Shizz." Cyrus said after he stamped his feet. Suddenly, a laser beam shot at the ship. Sophia screamed and nearly fell, but Fayt caught her. The ship rattled like a rag doll being shook by a two year old.

"A direct hit?" Fayt gasped.

"Shields down to 47 power!" the navigator said, not knowing the loud speaker was still on.

"Guess that answered your question," Cyrus said.

"Let's get out of here!" the flirty girl from the beach said to her fox-tailed friend.

"Right behind you!" They ran out of the room.

"Ohhh! We're doomed…" said an elder Roakian.

"W-w-whoa…! What will become of me… Ohh…" a Blue Dolphin panicked while pacing around in fear.

An earnest crew member appeared near the door. "To the pods everyone, hurry! They're located one level up in the hangar bay. Don't panic!"

"We gotta go, you guys," Fayt advised.

"Okay!" Sophia stated.

"I have no intention on becoming incinerated," Cyrus said. The three went up stairs to the escape pods. When they were at the area, they found out that a large mass of people had formed. They backtracked to see what was happening on deck. Fayt started talking a the slightly obnoxious man on that was serving under Commodore Volga.

"Hey you," he asked. I hope you don't mind me asking this, but what's your blood type?"

"Uh... It's type A..." Fayt replied.

"I'm B, myself. My fortune this morning said that today, I was gonna have the worst luck ever. Of course, also said that type A guys would have the best day of their life today. Man, I really envy you."

After that, Fayt and company walked to the captainwhowas about to say his final words. "What? And you are? Get to the escape pods immediately, civilians!" the Commodore said.

"Is the situation really that bad?" Fayt asked.

"Take a look for yourself. This transport ship, the Helre, is currently under fire from that Vendeeni battleship. I've received a report that the attack we just received did serious damage to this ship's gravitic warp core, and that it is now malfunctioning. This ship will probably explode in a few minutes once it can no longer contain the massive amounts of energy generated by its gravitic warp engine. Do you understand what I just told you? So hurry up and evacuate."

"Hurry up? Huh? Why isn't everyone evacuating?"

"This ship usually carries more than enough escape pods for all passengers. Unfortunately, we are currently carrying passengers well in excess of this ship's maximum occupancy."

"What? That means..."

"It was an emergency situation. This is nobody's fault. So hurry! You can still survive this!"

"Captain... Everyone..." he says and solutes.

After the words of a selfless leader, the group ran to the Rossetti Troupe. "What? Everyone's on board already? I guess that means our turn is after Fayt, Sophia & Cyrus' turn."

"Huh? What do you mean 'after Fayt, Sophia & Cyrus' turn?'" Cyrus bloated.

"You see, me and the rest of the troupe thought that you and everyone else should leave first," Peppita explained. "That will give you a chance to escape."

"But what you're doing is straight up suicide."

"It doesn't matter. Don't worry. We'll be just fine." There was a brief pause.

"Okay. Thank you so much," Cyrus said.

"You're welcome, good luck you guys," Peppita said.

"You too." The group ran to the escape pods that were a large line use to be. Now, everyone had left and the path was cleared. Inside the pod room...

"Good. The pod's still here! Get in quick. We're running out of time," Fayt said.

"Fayt… I'm scared," Sophia whined

"Don't worry…"

"But…"

"A Federation ship will recover our pods in no time. I'll see you at Remote Station #6. Now get going."

"That's right. Before you know it, we'll all be back together," Cyrus said.

"…O-okay. You'll follow, right? Promise?" Sophia said.

"Promise!" Fayt said.

"Cross my heart and hope to... Well, not really," Cyrus said.

Sophia enters an escape pod. They both watched as the hatch closed. The pod was gone and they left the room. As soon as they exit, a voice of a male soldier gave them good news. "This way, hurry! There's still a couple of pods here!"

"Right!" Fayt complied.

"Let's go!" Cyrus said. In Cyrus' escape pod room, he sat in the vehicle and began staring at the pods. His face was painted in fear as he stared at the buttons."_I may not be familiar with this technology,"_ he thought, _"but I bet if I press these commands..." _Cyrus sat down in the seat which took him to the shuttle, and pressed some of the commands. The controls were activated.

"Activation complete… Ejection in 10 seconds." the computer said.

"Sweet! Let's hope I don't get blown up." The passage way opened and the shuttle launched out. Just as it launched, the Helre exploded and the space around it was covered in pods. The Vendeeni ship was firing rounds all over the place, suddenly out of no where, another ship appeared. The escape pods zoomed past the ships and were out of sight.

* * *

Author's Note 1: Well, that was exciting. The first question was just answered. Now let's see if the Cyrus gets lucky this day.

Author's Note 2: Just so you know, a Coelophysis is a type of early, carnivorous dinosaur that lived in the Western USA and grew to about 6-10 feet long.


	5. Chapter 4

Part 4.1: Set Sail for Vangaurd

Back in the escape pod, the head-strong shizznit turned quivering-little-child, Cyrus; was contemplating about what had just happened to him.

"Oh man, I can't believe I survived that deep space dogfish dogfight," he said. "I bet that Vendeeni assault carrier was the Dasvanu and that Federation flagship was the Aquaelie."

"Distress signal operational," the computer specified.

"Great."

"Searching for life-supporting planets… Planet found."

"Hmm... What is it?"

"Vanguard III, located approximately 0.5 light years from present location. Axial tilt of 35 degrees results in extreme seasonal weather. Existence of humanoid life forms confirmed. The Federation has classified Vanguard III as an Underdeveloped Planet. Civilization level: approximately equivalent to 16th-century Earth."

"What? Yes, this is great! Out of all the other planets I'd 've landed on, I somehow got to Vanguard! I guess I am supposed to help fight Luther, but why am I getting involved this much?"

"Would you like to review the Underdeveloped Planet Preservation Pact?"

"Of course."

"The Underdeveloped Planet Preservation Pact was established in order to protect planets with developing civilizations. Contact with civilizations that have not reached a certain level of development is strictly prohibited by Federation law. This is due to the fact that contact with advanced civilizations has a high probability of greatly influencing the course of history on a less developed planet. All individuals and organizations belonging to the Pangalactic Federation are required to adhere to the tenets of this Pact, unless faced with a clear danger to life and limb. This Pact is one of the most important components of Pangalactic Federation law. It also serves as a guideline for civilization conduct in emergency situations. Violators will be tried by the Pangalactic Council."

"Okay. Oh, computer, please scan for other kinds of ships or pods in this vicinity."

"Scanning..."

"_If I'm correct, Fayt's pod should only be about a few miles from my current location. I might not be a space age mechanic, but something tells me it should be able to scan his life readings."_

"Search complete... One escape pod found."

"Great. Open up a channel." _"Man, I feel like the captain on Star Trek." _Suddenly, the monitor showed up a live feed from Fayt's pod. "Hello, err.. This is Captain Cyrus of the Federation S.S.S. Winnipeg. I used the extra 'S' to warn you of how powerful this vessel is. Though me and my crew come in peace, we will not tolerate in harassment from you or your party. However, if you insist; we shall have no choice but to fire our advance weaponry upon you."

"Cyrus, it's me."

"Huh? Fayt," starts to laugh in embarrassment. "Hey, cool. Well, home boy, isn't this unexpected."

"Tell me about it. What was that all about?"

"Well, you can't be too careful about who you run into. I mean it's not wrong to try and keep it real, is it? So, you heard where we're goin'?"

"Vangaurd III. A planet within the Underdeveloped Planet Preservation Pact."

"So tell me, what do they mean when they say, 'violators will be tried by the Pangalactic Council.' What's the punishment?"

"Usually, it's fifty to two hundred years in a high security prison."

"Gyuuh!" Cyrus yelled as he pulled the collar of the shirt under the sweater.

"Well, we better get some rest," Fayt said.

"Alright. (starts yawning). After what just happened, I think I'll be asleep for the next week." One week later... Cyrus reawaken from his slumber to here from the computer.

"Entering Vanguard III's gravitational field. Prepare for entry turbulence." Like searing comets streaking through the sky, the two pods crashed in a forest with tremendous force. The two jumped out of the ships, unscathed by the impact.

* * *

Author's Note 1: Well, that was pretty fun.

* * *

Part 4.2: Just a Walk in the Forest

"Here we go," Fayt said before they lept out on to the foreign land.

Cyrus starts to inhale the world's oxygen. "Ahh... this is great. Can't you just smell it. It kind of reminds you that Earth use to be like this, clean, lush and ready to be exploited– I mean explored."

"Yeah. Well, I suppose it's gonna be a few days before we're rescued."

"I guess," even though he knew damn well that their equipment is going to be stolen by some trigger-happyguy named Norton and the ones that will rescue them will be a group oflow-profile peace keepers. Cyrus would say what was going to happen, but even he knew that if he did, he'd be interfering with the potential history. His existence in this dimension was already the first straw. He figured anymore mishaps in the timeline would spell complete disaster for this plain of existence and maybe even his own universe, too. All he could do is grit his teeth and bare it. Fayt pulls out his quad scanner and presses a few commands. "Hey, what was that," Cyrus said as soon as he heard the chirp of the device.

"There's something moving at about 40 clicks. I suppose it's an animal." Fayt said. "Great. I'll get some weapons?" Fayt walked over to his pod. He typed in some commands. Suddenly, a ball of light shown up and materialized into swords. He gives one of the swords a light swing.

"Here you go." Fayt handed the other sword to Cyrus.

"Nice fell,"Cyrus said when he twirled it in his hand. Fayt put the sword he had back on the ground.

"The sun's setting soon. We better find somewhere to rest at nightfall." He checks his quad scanner again. "There's something there, I'll expand the range a bit. Hey, I'm picking up humanoids. It seems like there's a village. If we go now, we'll make it by nightfall."

"Cool," Cyrus said. "Shall we?"

"Let's go. I know it's a UP3 infringement, but this is an emergency. They'll probably cut us some slack if we keep a low profile."

The two took the long trek through Pesotto Forest. They reached the edge of the habitat right near the village's entrance. They both start to walk oddly, suffering from fatigue. Fayt knelt to the ground. "Made it…finally! Whew, that was farther than I thought. Looked so close… …on the scanner."

Fayt fainted to the ground. Cyrus lowerd, leaning on the sword. "Hey, Fayt. Get up... man," he said while nudging at him. He was about to stand back up too when suddenly, he slipped off and slammed to the ground. They both laid there, unconscious, no will or strength to get up.

A girl with bobbed hair appeared at the scene. "Hey! What's wrong, mister? You got a belly ache?" Suddenly, she realizes there are two people on the ground. She looks around the area.

"Oh no! Niklas! Niklaaas!" the girl yells as she runs off.

* * *

Author's Note 1: I bet all of you think that Cyrus is just following the storyline. That he arrived in this universe here just by accident. That he has no real reason here but as an accidental gamer that must rely on the characters to survive, right? Well, it's time to show you how wrong some of you are. The start of this chapter will describe our friend's purpose; short, sweet and quick. Try to keep up (no offense, figurative speech).

* * *

Part 4.3: The Dream

During his unconsciousness, Cyrus was having a dream. He was wondering in a red and black landscape. As he wanders, he sees a familiar face. "Ah Cyrus. You look well," the man said.

"Master Diogo," Cyrus shouted in surprise. He ran over and respectfully kneeled down.

"I see you have a great many questions on your mind my student."

"Yes. I mean, why have I been sent here, master. If this is all as real as I think it is, what could have caused something to break through the dimensional barrier? This is all a mistake, sir!"

"I understand. You see, a great evil is the cause of all this. One that would conquer all or destroy all. Its power was locked away for thousands of years."

"Wait, a great evil with absolute power... that would be Luther, sensei."

"No, Cyrus. Your Luther is but a pawn on his chess mat."

"Okay, so if Luther isn't responsible, fully; who is? What could have the power to rip open a vortex? The only one that could do it is Luther, and he's the 'creator' of this universe."

"Or so you say."

"Alright. If Luther is the tool, and my game that's really a universe, as well as my own is but the work table; who's the person making the blueprints?"

"That is a question that will reveal itself to you when the time is right. But do not fear... I leave you with these." Master Diogo chanted a powerful magic. Suddenly, two symbols appeared on his shoulders, one on each side. "These symbols will help you on your journey. One has the power of fire, the other, of darkness."

"Sweet! So I'm going to use symbology, too. That's tight."

"These symbols shall work when you are near another such as yourself. You'll also be able to learn other skills. And remember, you have your other strengths too."

"Huh? Oh yeah, my training in the swords and drunken boxing."

"Well, yeah. That's a few, but you also have him and the others..."

Cyrus looked up at the portal shown behind him, it showed Fayt and the others doing their current activities while Cyrus was sleeping. Fayt was awake, talking to Niklas and Meena. Cliff and Mirage were heading to Vanguard III. Nel and Albel were overlooking their subordinates training on different sides of Elicoor II's Continent of Gaitt. Roger and his gang were competing with their rivals. Peppita was with the Troupe, traveling to Moonbase. Adray was investigating an island nation off of the Continent of Gaitt. While Sophia was in a cell on the Dasvanu.

"I have a feeling that you're not alone, my pupil."

"Thank you master. You can count on me. I'll make sure that whoever's doing this, it will not succeed. The entire Time-Space Continuum is relying on me. I will not fail you."

Cyrus started to run back to were he came, but stopped.

"Um... Before I leave, were's the exit?" he asked.

"One of my most successful student, and he doesn't even know where the doorway to his mind is. Over there," the teacher pointed to his left that had the "Exit" sign and a large blue rectangle as a doorway from his mind.

"Heh... Go figure." Cyrus ran through the door and found himself awake. _"Where the... Oh, it was just a dreeeaaaaa..." _Cyrus screamed in his head when he looked at his shoulders, both with the inscriptions of symbology. _"Okay, so it wasn't just a dream. So that would mean... Oh Shizznit!" _he thought.

"Aa" Cyrus heard. He turned his head and saw a young girl at the doorway.

"Hello, young one." Cyrus said.

"Here's a pitcher of cold water if you need it." She put the pitcher on the counter near the bed Cyrus laid in. "Niklas!" she yelled.

"Oh, I see you're awake too, sir. You were talking in your sleep as well. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, you could say that," Cyrus said. "So, you're the one who rescued me? I owe you my life."

"No, I just carried you here. It was my sister, Meena, who insisted."

"Well, none the less, I thank you both. Sorry if I caused any trouble."

"Hey, it's alright." Meena said.

"I guess intro is in order," Cyrus said. "My name is Cyrus. Cyrus Splicer."

"A pleasure to meet you. I'm Niklas and this is my sister Meena. We found you and your friend, Fayt, collapsed in the forest."

"Is he alright?"

"Yes. Please, you must reserve your strength."

"Well, I guess I should... Alright, and again; thanks." Cyrus laid back, turned on his side and went to sleep.

* * *

Part 4.4: The issue in Whipple

The next morning, Cyrus risen out of bed and started stretching. He suddenly stopped because he was struck by pain on his right thigh. _"Argh... Great, right on my leg. Oh well, as long as I don't need to run, it don't really matter, right?"_Cyrus started looking around the two rooms. _"Hey, where's my sword? I guess Niklas must have kept it. Bet he did the same with Fayt's. Hmm... I wonder if he's up?" _Cyrus walked into the room across the hallway. In there, he saw a well rested Fayt standing next to the bed. "Hey!" Cyrus said.

"Cyrus, good to see you."

"Likewise homes. So, did you find out anything?"

"Yeah. When we were talking, Niklas asked if I knew someone named Norton."

"Norton, huh?"

"Yeah. I told them that we don't know anything about him."

Cyrus thought for a minute. "How about we explore this place. Maybe we'll find out more about this Norton guy."

"You're right." The two left the house and went outside. They tried to talk to the people, but the only thing they got were negative replies and threats.

"Geez. These guys are heck 'o mad, man." Cyrus said.

"Yeah. It seems that whoever this Norton is, he's got the village people scared." Fayt replied.

"True. Hey, I just remembered something that could help us."

"What's that?"

"One of the people I just talked to said that we should ask the Village Chief. He might know what's going on."

"Okay, where's his house?"

"Over there," Cyrus said as he pointed to the house in the corner.

"Let's go." They headed to the house at the corner of the village. Inside the house, they saw an old man wandering around a table.

"Ah... You must be our new arrivals, are you not," the man said.

"Yes. That's right, sir," Cyrus said.

"Are you the village chief of Whipple?" Fayt asked.

"Indeed I am, young man."

"Could you please tell us what's going on?"

"Of course. Recently, a sinister stranger settled to the west of our village. Our Lord refuses to send soldiers to such a remote village as ours. Perhaps the stranger knows this. We have constantly been at his mercy. That is why the people here are so wary of strangers. I am sorry

they are treating you so brusquely, but you must understand our situation."

"I see," Cyrus said. "Thank you, sir. Sorry we took any precious time."

"It is quite alright. I can tell that you people are different from this ne'er-do-well." Fayt and Cyrus left the house and walked back to the residence of Meena and Niklas.

* * *

Part 4.5: Meena's Music Box

Inside Meena was sitting down, looking at a broken music box. "What's that?" Fayt asked.

"It's my treasure box! Daddy gave it to me on my birthday," Meena said.

Niklas walked into the room. "That music box was passed down through our mother's family. It is the only thing we have left from our parents. But, alas, it is broken now, and does not make a sound," he explained.

"I see… Can I have a look?" Fayt asked.

"Sure!" Meena answered. Fayt examines the box.

"Well, what seems to be the problem?" Cyrus asked.

"The gear box is broken," Fayt said. "This shouldn't be too hard. Want us to fix this for you?"

"Yeah. It'll be our way of paying you back for rescuing us," Cyrus said.

"Really? Can you fix it, Fayt?" Meena asked.

"Can you really do that? It is an expensive music box. They told us it would cost a great deal to fix it," Niklas said.

"If I can get my hands on the right parts, yes, and I think I know where to get them. It's a little ways away but I'll go get them later," Fayt said.

"But, we cannot ask you to do something like that for us!" Niklas protested.

"You saved our lives. It's the least we can do to repay you!" Cyrus said.

"Still…"

"And I'm sure that Meena wants it fixed, right?" Fayt added.

"Thank you…good sir."

"In return, do you think we could get our swords back? We won't be able to go through the forest without them."

"You swear you are not with Norton and his gang?"

"That we're not. What…you don't believe us?"

"No, I trust you."

"Thanks."

"But be wary. If you are not one of Norton's gang, you will be in even more danger outside the village."

"I know—We'll be fine."

"That's right. Whoever this Norton guy is, he's no match for me." Cyrus stated. Fayt started to clear his throat. "I mean us!" Niklas gave the swords back to Cyrus and Fayt. The two swordsmen left the village and headed back to the pods. As soon as they got there, they were welcomed by an ugly surprise.

"What? What happened? The pod's parts and equipment have been stripped!" Fayt shouted.

"Oh man! The fools went for seconds too!" Cyrus exclaimed as he saw his. Fayt kneeled down at the damaged ships. He thought to himself that the inhabitants might have just smashed the equipment. "I'll bet you a million fol that it was Norton and his crew," Cyrus said.

"Maybe. Well, there's no use staying here. Let's head back to Whipple." Fayt said.

The two left the forest with unsatisfied looks on their faces. They walked back to Niklas and Meena's house to hear surprising news. "Fayt! Cyrus!" Meena shouted and ran toward the travelers.

"Hello there!" Fayt greeted.

"What a relief, you are well! Norton's gang was lurking around the forest in the direction you left in. We were worried," Niklas said.

"Hmm... Guess we came back at the right time," Cyrus said with bent arms.

"Niklas… Could you tell me more about Norton and his gang? Who are they?" Fayt asked. As soon as that question was asked, silence fell within the establishment.

"I do not know everything myself. He…Norton appeared suddenly in our village about half a year past. He ordered the village to supply him with food. Of course, we refused at first. The village needs it supplies to survive the harsh winter. Norton was in fact ordering the village to die… But when people refused him, he called upon this mysterious light, and those it touched disappeared, one after the other! Carl, Sirin, Kurt… All gone. And our father, who resisted until the very end. Of course we told our lord, but he said the idea of people disappearing into thin air was nonsense, and didn't want to hear about it. Now some of the villagers have even joined Norton's gang!"

"Hmm... now I truly see why you guys are so hush-hush up inhere," Cyrus said.

"A mysterious light, that makes people disappear…? Niklas… When you first met me, you asked me about my clothes and ears, right?" Fayt asked.

"Ah, yes—Norton wore clothes made out of a strange material that was neither linen nor cotton—just like the clothes you wear. And his ears were shaped like yours… That is why I did not trust you at first. I apologize."

"Don't worry about it."

"Fayt's right. It was all just a little misunderstanding, that's all." Cyrus said.

Fayt was in a trance of deep thought. Maybe this Norton, to him; was another off worlder as well.

" Is…something the matter?" Niklas asked.

"It's nothing, I was just thinking… I'm really sorry, but it's going to take me a little more time to fix your music box. Can you wait just a little longer?"

"Okay!" Meena agreed.

"That thing Norton's gang carried off—did it belong to you?" Niklas asked.

"No—I thought it might be, but it wasn't. Don't worry, I'll fix your music box."

"Niklas, I'm hungry! Let's eat!" Meena said.

"Ah yes… Very well, let us eat." After dinner, everyone went to their rooms and slept.

* * *


	6. Chapter 5

* * *

Author's Note 1: Yo yo, what's up everybody! Missed me? Sorry for the break. I made another fanfic on an old Dinotopia post (just for the fun, read it if you want). Also, I'm beginning sequels of what might happens afterwards. Anyway, let's get back to the mayhem, shall we...

* * *

Part 5.1: The Search for Niklas

The next morning, Fayt woke up. He walked over to the room across the hall to speak to Meena. "So, where's Niklas?" Fayt asked.

"I don't know," Meena said in a worried tone.

"Has he gone somewhere?"

"When I woke up, he was already gone. I hoped he hasn't disappeared, too… Just like Mama and Papa."

"Niklas would never leave you like that, Meena. It'll be all right. I'll go find him for you."

Fayt went to the table just next to the door and found Cyrus sitting in the chair arms folded, hood up and hat brim covering his eyes. It seems he'd been there ever since the night before. "Cyrus... Cyrus... are you awake," he said, nudging him on the shoulder.

Cyrus' eyes quickly opened up. "Good mornin' Fayt." Cyrus said.

"Morning. Say, you wouldn't happen to know where Niklas is, do you?" he asked.

"Not a clue. Why?"

"I'm don't know, but I have a feeling that he might--"

"Might be looking for the pod parts?" Cyrus interjected.

"Huh... Yeah but where?"

"Let's ask around. Maybe someone knows which direction he left in." The two left the house and asked everyone they could find. It took fifteen minutes until they met up again to share their information. "Did you find anything Fayt?" Cyrus asked.

"Nothing."

"Wait..."

"What... Something wrong?"

"No, it's just... I remember that someone said that Norton and his crew made their crib at the Ruins of Coffir."

"Really Cyrus. You don't think..."

"Yep. Our little G must be going there to get those parts back!"

"Okay, we'd better hurry. Where are the ruins?" Fayt asked.

"They're Northwest from this town.There's a little dirt trail connects to the area." Cyrus informed.

"Alright. Let's go!"

"Right!" The two ran out the village's entrance and took the dirt trail. It took a few minutes, but they finally arrived at the Ruins of Coffir.

"Okay, what do we do now?" Cyrus asked.

"Let's go this way," Fayt said. Cyrus and Fayt ventured through the facility. The place was swarming with Noblemen, Thieving Scumbags and mushroom-like Shriekers. While they were searching for the where abouts of Niklas, Cyrus noticed numbers on the walls. He remembered that they were the passwords for Norton's computer. It took the two half the day, but they finally found the establishment that Norton took residence in.

"Alright. It seems that we found his lair," Fayt said.

Cyrus walks to the front door and tries to open it. "Great, it's locked up. I can't get it to budge," Cyrus said.

"Let's go throughthe back. Maybe there's another way in," Fayt said.

The two walked behind the building by taking the left route. As soon as they arrived, they were greeted by three of Lord Norton's cronies. "Who are you, kids? Whatdya want? This here's Lord Norton's turf, so beat it, or else!" said the underling.

"We don't want to fight you guys. We just want to know if you've seen a little boy around here?" Fayt said.

"Yeah, he's been gone since this morning and we think that he went here." Cyrus said.

"A little boy?" There was a brief pause as the underling put his hand on his forehead as if he were thinking. "Oh, you mean Niklas. Yeah, he came 'round here, blabberin' 'bout getting somethin' back, and wantin' to see Lord Norton."

"Then what did he do?" Fayt asked.

"Being the kind-hearted fellas we are, we gave the stupid kid what he wanted. I bet Lord Norton's reeducatin' the undisciplined lil' brat right now."

"What?" gasped Fayt.

"It's the kid's own fault. Nothing good can come from messin' with Lord Norton. Don't worry—he'll learn it's better to join us than fight us! It's a shame—the apple don't fall far from the tree. Idiocy must run in the family."

"You rotten little…!" Fayt said and tried to charge at him, but the underling raised his dagger just as soon as Fayt moved.

"Whoa there, didn't I just say ya can't pass through here? Wanna see that brat, you got to beat us, first!"

"You punks! What gives you the right?"

"Looks like we got two more village idiots in need of some education!"

"So, you're gonna beour teachers, huh? Shame." Cyrus scoffed. "If you ask me, it's you guys that are gonna get schooled." The battle started. Cyrus and Fayt charged at the three henchmen with their swords extended. Fayt charged into the leader with incredible force. His comrades tried to aid by using major attacks, but Cyrus stepped in by charging into them. There wasn't really much competition as the group tried to escape, but in the end, after a few minutes, the battle was over. The gang was piled up next to the entrance.

" Ohhhhh…" moaned one of the henchmen.

"So Niklas is locked up somewhere in here. We better hurry up and find him," Fayt said.

"Yes. Let's go," Cyrus said. Fayt went inside the mansion. Cyrus taunted the boys by saying, "Hey, I guess school's over. Looks like the students have became the master, huh!" Cyrus hurried up to catch Fayt.

* * *

Part 5.2: The Lair of Lord Norton

The two had entered the mansion. They went straight through the room and found a fork. "Hey, what's that bright light over there?" Cyrus said.

"Let's check it out." Fayt and Cyrus took the east route and were in what appeared to be, Norton's den.

"Hmm… So this Norton guy's an offworlder, too. Wonder what he's doing here?" Fayt said.

"Who knows," Cyrus said. He looks around the room spotted a computer. He sits down at the seat and calls over Fayt. "Hey, look what I found!" he shouts.

Fayt walks over to the computer. "This looks likea screen for entering a password. It's asking for a three-digit number."

Suddenly, there was a loud beap and a message appeared on the screen. "Welcome to the Password Entry Screen! I'm your guide, Boss Norton, so you'd better be thankful! I mean it! You enter the password here, but remember, you only get three chances! If you make three mistakes, then you're through! I'll kick you outta here! So you better be ready! But hey, I'm feeling generous today, so I'll give you a little hint! The secret number are located somewhere in these ruins! Just type those in! Even an idiot like you should be able to do that. So come on, enter the password!"

"Well, shows us his 'generosity,'" Cyrus said sarcastically.

"Great, now we have to go look for some numbers all over the place?" Fayt yelled. "We're wasting time!"

"Hold on, home boy," Cyrus said. "While we were walking, I saw the numbers homes. I remember what they are, dude. Just stand back and chill. This will only take a second." Cyrus put his hand on the keyboard and pressed the numbers "2-5-6" on the screen. Suddenly, there was a loud click that emanated from the hall. "See, told you."

"Good work. I think I heard a door open somewhere."

The swordsmen went straight through the hall to a large door. In the room, Fayt and Cyrus ran to the one of the cells where Niklas was laying down in. Fayt started shaking the bars, trying to get Niklas' attention. "Niklas! You okay?" Fayt shouted.

"Get up, man!"

Niklas slow raises his head up. "Fayt… Cyrus... why are you here?"

"That's what I want to ask you! You should never have run off like that!" Fayt said

"The music box parts…I wanted to get them back. I…I could not ask you to do this for us."

"But that's crazy!"

"It is dangerous here! You…must leave, quickly! He'll…get you."

"Niklas? Hang in there, Niklas!" Fayt yells as he bangs on the bars.

"Must leave…" Niklas says after his head slammed to the ground.

"This is bad… We better hurry…"

"I know, but what are we gonna do? We can't cut through the bars with the blades!" Cyrus said while banging on the cell with his sword.

"Think…think… Oh yeah! I could short the battery in my communicator, or—Wait. We might be stuck here if I lose my communicator."

"Meena…" Niklas faintly called out.

"What am I thinking? There's no time! Hold on, Niklas, I'll get you out!" Fayt short-circuits the communicator. They ran out of the way and suddenly... BOOM! The barred door had just been broken. Fayt and Cyrus rush into the cell. "Hang in there, Niklas!" Fayt called. Niklas appeared to be unconscious.

"You think he's okay, dude?" a concerned Cyrus asked.

"He doesn't seem too badly hurt… That's a relief." Cyrus and Fayt suddenly heard faint sounds coming from Niklas. It took them both by surprise. "I forgot that there was a translator built inside the communicator. No time for regrets, now. We better get out of here!" Fayt picks up Niklas and Cyrus walks beside them. "Let's go."

They started moving until they were surprised by a loud voice. "Freeze!" it shouted. Fayt lays Niklas down in the cell and Cyrus stands back. A shot hits the wall right next to the cell. Suddenly as Fayt was walking, another laser was fired at some boxes. "No funny moves if you wanna stay alive. Play nice and I'll let you live a little longer."

"That was a phase gun. So you must be Norton."

"Yeah, that's me. I am Norton the Great! Ah, it's so nice to hear genuine Terran being spoken, eh? Seems like ages."

"Why are you here? You're not from this planet, are you?" Fayt said.

"I'm from Rezerb, boy. We're not part of the Federation."

"Rezerb… I've heard of that world. Right—that planet filled with joy-seekers that keeps rejecting Federation membership," Fayt commented

"So what are you doing here? This is an underdeveloped planet, you know!" Cyrus asked.

"Not much to tell… I …was involved in this er…unfortunate accident. Guess it was a bit much even for Rezerb. So I was sentenced to spend the rest of my days in exile on a deserted planet. But… The escort ship they were transporting me on had engine trouble and ended up crash landing here. Can ya believe it? All I had to do was mess with their engine codes. Those stupid pilots ended up frying their engines! Ohhh, man! All I was trying to do was create a distraction so I could make my escape. But…we ended up crashing, and this planet's become my prison." Norton explained.

"And the others, Norton!" Fayt asked

"Huhhh?" Norton fired a warning shot.

"That's 'Lord Norton' to you!"

"There must've been others. What happened to the other people on the escort ship?" Cyrus said.

"Oh, those guys? They're dead, the poor fools. They were trying to send out a distress signal and a bolt of lighting smote 'em where they stood. Bam! Heh heh! That crash part was unfortunate. But no use crying over spilt milk… I've been devoting myself to making this planet my kingdom. Ya get my drift?"

"Yeah, I'm sure you were really sympathetic." Cyrus said

"So that's why you've been raiding Whipple?" Fayt asked.

"Yeah, something like that. You're a smart kid. That's why I've been raiding the village, and that's why you two gotta die. Sorry! You'll be happy to know I'm gonna make the most of those parts I stripped from yer escape pods." Norton started readying his gun, when suddenly a blue light emanates from Fayt's head.

"It's guys like you…" Fayt said.

"Huh? What the?" Norton said as he was taken by surprise of the glow. Cyrus was also taken aback. _"Whoa! Fayt's powers are manifesting like hell! I bet if Cliff didn't get here, Norton would've been longgone."_

"Ah, there you are. I thought I lost you when your distress signal went out. Might never have found you if it weren't for those explosions," said a voice in the distance. After the council, a buff looking man."

"What do you want? You're not one of them Federation guys, are ya?"

"Who, me? A Federation soldier? Ha, yeah, that's a good one!" the man guffawed.

"Well then, who are ya?"

"Cliff Fittir—a Klausian and member of Quark."

"A K-Klausian?" Norton said in a choked up tone.

"Sorry, no time to explain. I'm kinda in a hurry. Just lemme have Fayt, that Earthling boy over there and I'll be on my way. I don't plan on butting into whatever ya got going on over here."

"You're gonna take me too are ya?" Cyrus asked.

"Don't worry, Cyrus. We wouldn't forget you," Cliff said.

"How do you know our names?" Fayt asked.

"Let's not sweat the details. Suffice it to say, you're my men."

"Hold it right there, or I'll blast ya!" Norton yelled.

"Huh? You talking to me?" Cliff asked.

"You think you can fool me? There's no way a Klausian would come here! You're probably some sorta spy. It's so obvious! Har har har!"

"Oh man. Can this guy take a clue?" Cyrus said.

"Look, since I'm such a nice guy, I'm gonna fill you in on a little secret. That gun you have there has no effect on us Klausians. You didn't know that?" Cliff asked.

"Shut yer piehole!" Norton shouted. He shot the gun at Cliff, but the shots missed. Cliff was so fast, that he stopped right in Norton's face.

"All right. I'm done lecturing—Time to teach you lesson!" Cyrus and Fayt unsheathed their swords. Ready to battle

"Alright! Let's get it on!" Cyrus shouts. The battle had commenced. Norton's gun was aimed at Fayt. Cyrus and Cliff charged right at the enemy. Luckily for Fayt, Cyrus wasmoving pretty quickly and his sword made a powerful impact, sending Norton falling back. Fayt finally rushed himself to the battle and clobbered Norton with his blade. Cliff had been kicking and punching at the Rezerbian. Norton was overwhelmed until... a barrage of laser fire had thrown everyone back, except for Cliff due to the fact that he wasn't in range.

Norton started a maniacal laugh. "Take that, you fools. You thought you could stop me, hah!" Fayt and Cyrus were laying on the ground pretty weakened.

Then the voice of Cliff interrupted the antagonist. "Hey. I say you're one person short of a victory dance." Norton slowly moved his head toward where the voice came from. What he saw was a determined-eyed Cliff, ready to deliver the finishing blow.

"Oh no you don't," Norton said with the pointed laser. Cyrus picked his head off the ground enough to see the attack.

"Oh yes I do." Cliff quickly ran at the enemy. With speed rivaling that of a Peregrine Falcon, he jumped up and kicked just before he past Norton. Though Norton was about to pull the trigger, he didn't pull it fast enough.

"No.. This is my.. kingdom. I made this kingdom," Norton screamed. The man feel over, unconscious after the incident. Fayt and Cyrus had slowly risen up. They were in awe. The battle was over and a defeated Norton was laying on the floor.

"Looks like I overdid it. Shoulda held back a little bit," Cliff said kneeling over Norton. Fayt and I were surprise.

"_Whoa! Now that's power. If he was in my time period, he might'vegave my master a run for his money," _Cyrus thought.

"This is about the only thing that still works. The rest ruined. …Here." Cliff tossed a communicator to Fayt.

"Is this …a communicator?" Fayt asked.

"Can't live without one! I can't figure our why you wouldn't have one with you."

"Well, it's kinda complicated," Cyrus said.

"Ahh… Umm… Thanks for getting us out of that mess. You saved my life," Fayt said.

"Whoa there. Don't go thank me yet. Ya see, I've come to abduct you," Cliff said.

"What?" Fayt exclaimed.

"Talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire," Cyrus said hiding his face in shadow of his hat.

"Now don't get all worked up… I'm not going to hurt anybody. It's just my boss wants to meet you two. That's why I came all the way out here to find you guys."

"_I understand why she'd like to seeFayt,"_ Cyrus thought. _"But why would Maria want to see me?"_

"Boss…you mean Quark's boss?" Fayt asked.

"That's right. Our leader wants to see you. But you've sure made it a tough job. First, I went to Hyda and ran into that mess, thanks to you. Then, I get here and find you poking your nose into matters better left alone…"

"You make it sound like it was our fault Hyda got attacked, geez," Fayt yelped.

"That's right!" Cyrus said. "It's not like we openly invited them."

"… Just kidding, don't sweat it. At any rate, I got you now. And I did rescue you, so no complaining. And besides, you wanna see your old man, don't you? He's been captured by the Vendeeni."

"Dad? But why?"

"Hey, don't ask me. All I know is your old man was abducted from the Evacuation Facility on Hyda."

"Oh yeah, we're gonna be real busy. I could feel it," Cyrus said.

"What about my mother…and Sophia?" Fayt asked.

"Well, we know your mom's safe. She should've already arrived at Remote Station #6. I don't know about the girl. I've had my hands full just trying to track down your escape pod," Cliff explained.

"…How do you know all about this? What else do you know?"

"Not much else…sorry. Oh yeah, I do know what yer old man Dr. Leingod, was researching."

"You mean symbological genetics? My dad's an authority in that field, so it's no surprise you've heard of him."

"Right, symbological genetics. And 19 years ago… Ah, never mind. That doesn't matter right now."

"Uh..."

"Sure it don't," Cyrus said.

"C'mon! Ya don't have any other way off this planet, do ya? Look, I'm sure things will clear up if you just come with me. Besides, you'll be able to see yer old man again."

"But according to you, my Father's been captured by Vendeen. So how could I possibly see him?"

"Simple! Quark'll go rescue your old man, too."

"Alright, I'm down with that," Cyrus said.

"Why would an anti-Federation group want to help my father?"

"Well…tell ya what, it's kinda complicated. Let's not get into that right now. So, are you coming or not?"

Fayt starts to think about the proposition. "Hey, I wanna go. Staying on a 16th Century planet isn't on my list of things to do!" Cyrus said.

"Okay… I'll go with you. But could we stop by Whipple first? I want to make sure the boy gets back there safely," Fayt said.

"Sure, whatever. But I still think you shouldn't have gotten involved…"

Fayt, Cyrus and Cliff go to the computer room to obtain the music parts. "I promise. I won't let your efforts go to waste," Fayt said

"I have to admit, Niklas got guts," Cyrus said.

"You done? Okay, I'm gonna blow the place." Cliff sets Norton's computer to self-destruct. "Okay, we only have a few minutes before this place explodes."

"Let's get outta here," Cyrus said. The group ran out of the hideout quickly. As soon as they left, the entrance to the establishment had caved in.

"There, everything's back to normal, huh?" Cliff said.

"You're wrong, things aren't back to normal. Niklas's and Meena's parents are gone forever," Fayt said. While Cliff through his arms up in a submissive manner, Fayt and Cyrus had already started their leave.

* * *


	7. Chapter 6

* * *

Author's Note 1: Finally, I am back with (at the moment) the most action-packed (maybe comedy filled) chapter to be devised (as of now). I hope you like it.

* * *

Part 6.1: Klausians, Chaos, Collision Course

It was afternoon and Cyrus, Fayt and Cliff had arrived back in Pesotto Forest. Fayt and Cyrus said that were going back to Whipple to drop off Niklas.

"Finish up quick and get back here. I'll be waiting for you," Cliff said.

"Okay," Fayt said.

"Don't keep me waiting too long, kids!"

"Got it," Cyrus said.

Fayt and Cyrus entered the village while Cliff waited near the bushes. When they entered the town, they found a few of the citizens gathered near Meena's house. They suddenly turned around and saw an unconscious Niklas carried by Fayt and accompanied by Cyrus. Meena ran over to them screaming, "Niklas! Niklaaas!" Fayt puts Niklas down infront of his sister. "I don't care about the music box! I just care about my brother! My brother…" she cried.

"Don't worry, he's just asleep. He wouldn't leave you alone, Meena." Fayt reassured.

"Really?"

"Really. There's nothing to worry about," Cyrus explained.

Inside the house, Niklas lay in the bed previously used by Fayt to heal and Meena rested by his side. Fayt had just fixed the music box and a soft melody had started playing. _"There,"_ he thought. _"Time for us to go. Goodbye."_ Fayt left the house, where Cyrus was waiting at the door.

"Well?" Cyrus said.

"We're finished here. Ler's go," Fayt said.

"Not just yet home boy. I promised the chief that we were going to visit him before we left."

"Are you sure, Cyrus?"

"Sure, he said he had something for us."

"Alright, but then we have to leave."

"Yeah, I know." The two were heading to the old chief's house, when they heard an argument on the other side of the fence.

"So tell me... What am I supposed to do now?" a harsh young woman yelled. "You were the one who said we should go join up with him. That... that fool! What do I have to show for it now?"

"It's too late now. What's done is done," a cowed man said.

"What's that supposed to mean? Ohh...! What are you going to do about this? My life is ruined! I swear... You better take responsibility for what you've done!"

Cyrus looked back at Fayt, giving him some helpful advice on women. "What you just saw my friend was a delicate woman on the warpath. Shows us that even the most beautiful flowers have poisons," he said.

"I'll keep that in mind. Now let's go to the leader's house, and meet with Cliff."

"Lets."

As soon as they arrived, the waiting chief thanked them graciously. "It seems you have rid us of that Norton. You are the savior of our village. Thank you so very much."

"Oh, no need. It was just are way of returning your services."

"Don't be so modest," the chief said. He then put his hand in his pocket. "Oh, yes. Will you not take this as a token of our gratitude?" The elder took out a small shiny rock and tried to hand it to them. It was a Medecentra Pyroxene.

"We can't take this, sir," Fayt said.

"No, I insist. It is a charm passed down through the generations here in our village." The man gave Fayt the stone again and Fayt, reluctantly put it in his pocket. They left the village, and met up with Cliff who had been waiting for them under some of the forest trees.

"You ready?" Cliff asked.

"Yeah," Fayt said.

"Let's get down to business," Cyrus replied.

"Alright. Now, you remember that cliff near your escape pods? Our way out lies beyond there. Let's go!"

"Okay."

The team trekked through the dense undergrowth of the forest for sometime. Mainly, because they forgot where the trail was. It took them the whole day, but the team had finally made it to the cliff. Once there, Cliff opened a comm link to his ship and started speaking to whom ever was on board. "Hey, it's me. We're at the location. Transport us up as soon as you can. Hmm? Oh, no problem. I got him. …I said it's okay. I haven't done anything. Yeah, I know. Now hurry up and get us outta here." he said. Cliff breaks contact with the ship and walks up over to Fayt and Cyrus. "My ship'll be here soon. Once we're ready, it's good riddance to this hunk 'o rock. My ship's not so big, but it's packing a gravitic warp engine. …It's quite the speed demon."

"Hey Cliff," Fayt said.

"Yeah?"

"There's something I've been meaning to ask you…"

"What's that?"

"Why does Quark's leader want to meet with us? I'm just a college student from Earth!"

"Right, and I'm just a kid from Uptown Northgate!" Cyrus replied.

"Oh…um…'no comment?' Heh. That's... that's not doing it for you, is it?

"No, it's not."

"Sorry, no dice."

"Let's see, well… I guess the biggest reason would be… Our leader wants to chat with you?"

"Nice try, but that's avoiding the question."

"Why's your leader want to meet with us?"

"Hey, how should I know? I just do what I'm told. There's probably something our leader wants to talk to you about."

"And that 'something' is..." Fayt said in an aggravated tone.

"Well—You'll just have to come with me and find out for yourselves. Sorry, kids, but I don't know much more than that." Cliff explained.

Cyrus had turned his back on both of his party members and started thinking to himself. _"I still don't get it. Quark really is interested in me, too. I guess they also know that I'm from a different dimension. Then again, I could be wrong. But still, what would they want with me?"_

Cliff's ship arrives on the scene and everybody looked up. Cliff, then Fayt, then Cyrus had been transported to the vessel one at a time. Meanwhile, Niklas had finally woke up and Meena had awaken too. As soon as she saw him, Meena started crying in Niklas' lap. Suddenly, they heard a strange sound. They quickly ran outside and looked up. They saw the Eagle soaring over them and exiting the planet's orbit. Meanwhile, inside the Eagle, the team were strapped in their seats and were on their destination.

"Well, let's get a move on. She'll be expecting us. The rendezvous point is Beta-747-372-406. You got that, Mirage?"

"Roger," she said as she pressed a few of the controls. "Engaging conventional engines…

Gravitic warp core, normal." Meanwhile, Cyrus was having a flashback about what happened a while ago when they first entered the ship.

"Welcome back.," a woman's voice greeted.

"Sorry to keep ya waitin'. This is my navigator and partner in crime. I leave the day-to-day operation of the ship to her. Mirage, these are our targets," Cliff said.

"Yes. I knew right away. Nice to meet you, Fayt and Cyrus. I'm Mirage Koas," she said.

"N-nice to meet you, too," Fayt said.

"H-hi, it's good to meet you," Cyrus said. Fayt and Cyrus were both staring at Mirage. _"Oh man. She's beautiful," _he thought as they were both continuing to stareThe flashback ended.

"You two okay? Oh, and listen, don't fall for her—She may look pretty but she's a Klausian. Any funny ideas, and yer liable to meet a swift, yet painful, death," Cliff warned.

"Hey, w-wait a sec! Who said I was falling for anyone?" Fayt asked

"I don't know about him, but I'm falling for no one!" Cyrus said.

"Relax! I was just warning ya," Cliff said.

"I…was wondering. Just how long will it take till we get to your leader?" Fayt asked.

"Oh, we'll be there soon. It's about three hours to the rendezvous point. Mirage, I'm gonna go take a shower. I'm leaving you in charge," Cliff said.

"Oh Cliff… It looks like you can forget that shower," Mirage said.

"Huh? What is it?"

"I've just detected a gravitic space anomaly up ahead. I'm bringing us out of gravitic space to avoid it."

"You serious? You think it's hostile?"

A little later...

"We're back in conventional space. …Two Vendeeni battleships detected 400,000 km ahead."

"An ambush, eh? Man, it's bad enough having to worry 'bout Federation ships. …Open up a comm link."

"Hold on," Mirage said as she was activating the comm link. "Connection confirmed… Okay,

the link's open."

"Uhhh… This is the Eagle, a Klausian ship. We don't want any trouble with ya…"

"You're wasting your time," Mirage interrupted, "The enemy ships are already prepared to attack."

"Great. So much for 'the voice of reason,'" Cyrus sneered.

"Seems they know who we've got onboard. Escape's our only hope. It'll be tough without using gravitic warp, but we've got no choice… Reverse course! Conventional engines, full power!"

"Roger."

"Full power to rear shields! And lemme see a chart for this region!" The windshields closed and a holographic radar screen was activated.

"Alright, course 116, mark 267! Activate auto-evasion program! Fasten crew safety harnesses!"

"Roger. …Course entry complete. Speed, maximum… Program activated." Fayt and Cyrus gasped. The group's safety harnesses slowly lowered. To Cyrus, they almost looked like harnesses on roller coasters.

"Hey, feeling lucky, kids?" Cliff asked. The Eagle shook side to side.

"Whoa..." shouted Fayt.

"Ahhh..." Cyrus yelped.

"We've evaded round one from the enemy's disrupter cannon," Mirage said. A brief pause overtook the ship. "Nearing objective point."

"All right, as soon as we're there, go into gravitic warp," Cliff ordered.

"Cliff, gravitic warp is currently nonfunctional…"

"I got a hunch it'll function the moment we reach the objective point. Get us on a straight line between the ships and that planet, then pop us up starside—we'll open up the distance that way."

"Very well…but we won't be able to designate our warp destination."

"Well, we're toast if we stay here, Mirage! Anyhow, space is big, right? Our odds ain't that bad!"

"You got a hunch?" Fayt asked.

"Oh shizznit! We're running by a guess. We're screwed," Cyrus shouted.

"Roger," Mirage said. The enemy ships fired a barrage of shots at the Eagle, luckily, they missed. "The enemy's fired again. Four rounds now approaching…"

"Four, huh? This is gonna be close. Either we enter gravitic warp first or we get pummeled. Now's the time to pray, gentlemen!"

"Unfortunately, it looks like we might lose the race. Here comes the first round now, and we're seven seconds from objective point."

"Aaah, who cares if we take a few rounds?" Cliff said in a cocky tone. Cyrus raised his hand slowly and slowly lowered it while Cliff was still talking. "Warp our butts outta here!"

"Warp engine damaged, but…still functioning."

"You bet it is! Activate gravitic warp!" Meanwhile outside, the Eagle was speeding through space. As it sped, one shot from the missed their right flank. The ship was tilting left and right. The second shot barely hit them on the left side. As soon as the third salvo was reached, the ship kick started at full throttle just in the nick of time. They were out of conventional space and in the gravitic warp stream.

"We've thrown off the Vendeeni ships," Mirage said.

"Phew... That was close," Cliff said in exasperation.

"Yes, but now we're pretty far from the rendezvous point."

"Well, it can't be helped. Besides, it won't hurt to make her wait a little longer. Let's take our time."

"Wow, you hunch really paid off," Fayt said.

"Finally, some respect," Cliff said.

"Yeah, a healthy respect for your recklessness."

"What is that supposed to mean? A little more honesty would be nice—like 'Heeey, that Cliff sure is something,' or 'You're a genius, Cliff!'"

"Don't sugar coat it, homes," Cyrus said. "That little trick might have did some damage."

Suddenly, a loud noise was heard. "Sorry to interrupt while you're having so much fun…" Mirage said.

"What is it, Mirage?"

"The gravitic warp core is overheating. We should reduce speed immediately. The engine will scram if we don't."

"Whaaat? Didn't I specifically request that ya tell me these things sooner? Get back to conventional space, pronto!"

"Roger."

"And so Houston," Cyrus said, "we have a problem. Was this part of the plan, genius?" he sneered. They dropped back into conventional space. Unfortunately, there were even more issues to follow.

"Bad news," Mirage said.

"Now what?" Cliff said in an agitated tone.

"Both the conventional and gravitic warp engines have scrammed. The backup engine isn't functioning, either. I'd say we have a problem."

"Damn it!" Silence filled the room. "Where're we now?"

"We're currently within Elicoor II's gravitational field."

"If all our energy sources are shot, then we can't communicate either… Well, I'm sure she'll figure out something happened to us after we don't show up when we're supposed to."

"One would hope so."

"Well, Mirage, come up with something," he said then flopped on his chair.

"I'll see what I can do." Mirage started pressing comands.

"What CAN we do?" Fayt asked. "Aren't all the engines scrammed?"

"Yeah," Cyrus said. "If you think about it, it's pretty hopeless."

"For starters, we gotta land before we crash. Then, we wait to be rescued," Cliff said.

"Great plan."

"Let's just hope the people who rescue us aren't the people throwing us in a cell."

"Look, my mission is to bring you to our leader. Until then, I'll watch out for you—trust me! You're safe as…as a turtle in its shell!"

"A turtle dropping out of orbit…"

"Huh? Did you say something?" Cliff said sternly.

"Nothing." Fayt quickly replied.

"We'll be entering into Elicoor II's atmosphere in another 30 seconds. Get ready for a bumpy ride, you two. And…keep wagging those tongues and you'll bite them off. I wouldn't want either of you to die of blood loss." The ship's windshields closed again.

"Roger."

"Yes ma'am."

"Gotcha." The men said in unison. Their harnesses were slowly lowering, bracing them for impact. The Eagle was pulled into Elicoor II's orbit, which they would find out that their adventure truly begins.

* * *

Author's Note 1: Now entering Elicoor II. The adventure of a lifetime now begins for Cyrus. Think you're ready? The start of a new partofthe tale.

* * *

Part 6.2: A Fallen Eagle

The Eagle had crashed, nose first into a primitive city; which would mean that this event has not gone unnoticed by the townsfolk. Many people had walked over to investigate the mess. "What is that thing?" a panicked man asked.

"A star, fallen from the sky?" A fascinated girl answered, a bit puzzled herself.

"Nonsense! It looks nothing like a fallen star!"

"Well, what is it, then?"

"How am I supposed to know?"

Inside the ship, a monitor popped up, showing the skeptical patrons in town. "Just our luck—we landed right in the middle of a city!" Fayt said.

"Not to mention we're outta power and the helm is outta whack. You should be happy to be alive," Cliff said.

Fayt sighs. "I guess this is no time to be worrying about the UP3. What do we do now?"

Fayt and Cyrus got out of their seats to stretch. Cyrus walked over to Mirage and asked, "Mirage, what kind of planet is Elicoor II."

"The second planet in the Elicoor System has an axial tilt of 32.6 degrees, and is 0.8 AUs from its parent star. The gravity is 0.9 G. Other than the fact that its atmosphere is mostly comprised of noble gasses such as neon instead of nitrogen, it has an atmosphere composition which closely resembles that of Earth. According to my data, the technology level on this planet is near that of Medieval Earth, or around the 17th century. Although the planet is registered in the Galactic Atlas as an underdeveloped planet, it appears to be in a constant state of conflict, so there are no figures for the total population of sentient beings."

"So we're stuck on an underdeveloped planet..."

"Do we at least have the information for our current location?" Fayt asked.

"Well, sentient life forms do live in this area. We don't have any detailed information, like government, but this is a pretty large city. External air temperature is minus five degrees Celsius. Both falling and deposited snow have been detected."

"A city..." Cyrus said in a low tone.

"We also know that there are two major continents on this planet. There's the one we're on now, and another one to the east. The continent to the east appears to have a slightly higher civilization level."

"I see..." Fayt said.

"But still, we're in some deep trouble now, my peeps," Cyrus said.

"Relax. Panicking won't change a thing," Cliff said.

Meanwhile, a trio of soldiers was coming through the crowd. "You there. Move," shouted a snotty soldier.

"Out of the way! Off the road!" shouted an old soldier.

"What's this?" a rugged soldier asked.

"One of Aquaria's new weapons?" an old soldier answered. One of the soldiers tapped on the ship with his spear. Meanwhile, inside the Eagle...

"We seem to be surrounded by a group of local soldiers now," Mirage asked. "What will you do?"

"Not much we can do with the Eagle scrapped like this," Cliff said. "Fighting our way out isn't really an option… Well, at least we're still in one piece!"

"For now, maybe…"

"Oh well—let's just step outside and see what happens."

"Hold on just a second! Even minimal contact with the inhabitants of an underdeveloped planet will get us in trouble—besides, we've no idea what they'll do to us once we're out there!"

"Fayt," Cyrus said. "It's not like we wanted to come here in the first place."

"Cyrus is right," Cliff said. "You got any better ideas? I hate to point this out, but I think we've already made contact, rather forcefully, anyway."

"Well, still…" Cliff got up and put his hand on Fayt's shoulder.

"Don't worry. I've gotta hunch they won't kill us right away," Cliff said.

"Great," Cyrus said, "That's really reassuring."

"Another hunch?" Fayt said.

"C'mon! Trust me! Didn't we make it here safely? I tell you, my hunches are always right!"

"Well for starters," Cyrus stated, "Getting hit by a warship, spinning out of control in deep space and crash landing on a primeval city isn't what I would call 'safely.'"

"And how about that time when we almost crashed into that asteroid because of a…hunch?" Mirage reminded.

"Aw, but that was ONE time!"

"One time!"

"At any rate, I don't think we have any other choice."

"What do you think they'll do?" Fayt asked.

"Well, we'll probably be taken prisoner," Cliff said.

"You say it like you don't even care…"

"Yeah, but only you, Cyrus and I will go out."

"Cool!" Cyrus said.

"Huh? What about Mirage?" Fayt asked.

"We'll have Mirage wait until later to make an escape," Cliff said. He then said to Mirage, "Mirage, stay until nightfall, then leave under the cover of darkness."

"Right. That shouldn't be a problem," she said.

"But Mirage… All alone?" Fayt said in a worried tone.

"You're forgetting she's a Klausian. She'll be fine—I pity the soldier that tries to take her in."

"Want me to come rescue you?" she asked.

"Nah, no need. There'll probably be too many of 'em, anyway. We'll think of something… You scout around and find a way to contact the Diplo. Don't put yourself in danger trying to hook up with us. They should be able to home in on our position as long as we make contact. They can come get us then," Cliff explained.

"Roger."

"All right, time to go."

"Fayt… Be careful. Cyrus... Stay safe."

"Thanks. You too, Mirage," Fayt said.

"Don't worry, Mirage. I'll keep these two in line," Cyrus said.

"Cliff..."

"I said it'll be okay. …I'm counting on you."

"Okay… Be careful."

Meanwhile, outside the Eagle...

"Hey, there's something moving…" a snooty soldier said.

"What?" gasped the old soldier.

"A…person?" a rugged soldier said. Cyrus, Fayt and Cliff came out of the damaged ship with their hands up.

"There's people in there!" the snooty soldier said.

"Uhh, umm… We…" Fayt quivered.

"We come in peace..." Cyrus said.

"Get 'em!" One of the soldiers shouted. They rushed toward them.

"W-wait, please!" Fayt said.

"Give it up, kid. Nothing we can do about it," Cliff said.

"Give up?" Fayt said.

"Look behind you."

"Huh?" Fayt looked and saw one of the soldiers towering above him. He then started to scream. The soldiers grabbed them from the wreckage and shoved them escorted them to the castle.

One of the soldiers behind Cyrus was poking him with his spear. "Ah! Hey... Give a brother some personal space would you?" The soldier poked him again. "Ah! Oh that's it! Police brutality! Police brutality...!" he yelled. Meanwhile, inside the castle, three captains of powerful troops were having a meeting with the company of the king. The matters at hand, the three people and the strange device.

* * *

Part 6.3: Dungeons and Crabs

"Well, what was it?" King Airyglyph XIII, ruler of the Kingdom of Airyglyph asked the guard.

"We believe it to be a new Aquarian weapon, Your Majesty. We have the three crewmembers locked up in the dungeon," he said

"Very well. Continue with your investigation, and step up to the pace of the invasion of Arias. If the enemy has indeed brought a new weapon into active service, then time is of the essence."

"Your Majesty!" The guard bowed and left the room.

"What think you, Woltar?" his majesty asked.

"If this object that has fallen on our city is truly a new Aquarian weapon, then we are in trouble. Aquaria has shown an admirable ability to wage war of late," said Woltar, the wise old captain of the Storm Brigade.

"Lord Woltar appears to lack confidence," said the Lord Vox, head of one of the groups and the king's uncle. "Airyglyph has your Storm Brigade cavalry, Albel's Black Brigade heavy cavalry, and my winged Dragon Brigade for good measures! They stand no chance against our legions, Sire. Their weapons have proven themselves little threat to us. Anything they throw at us, we return in spades."

"Pride comes before the fall. Surely a measure of prudence would do us no harm. Right, Albel?" Woltar asked.

"Heh… If they're the enemy, we kill them. If they aren't, we dispose of them. Simple!" said the cut-throat captain of the Black Brigade, Albel Nox.

"If only things were as simple as you say…" Woltar said.

"Regardless, we have yet to see any evidence the object is a new Aquarian weapon. My men have already begun to interrogate the crewmembers. They'll talk before long." Vox said.

"The Inquisitor? He always seems to enjoy his work a bit too much…" a concerned Woltar said.

"He is the best."

"As long as they do not die before they talk. We are not barbarians—even prisoners have certain rights, you know."

"You speak absurdities. Prisoners have no 'rights.' We'll hurt them until they squeal. If they die as a result, then so be it. You've grown much too soft in your old age, Woltar."

"Compared to you, that may be true. I'm willing to do what's necessary, but I think your men have a tendency to take things too far."

"What's the big deal? Just find out whether they're enemies or not. If that's too much trouble. I'll be happy to take care of them." Albel's statement left Woltar and Vox in shock. Everyone knew about Albel's deadly tactics of retrieving information.

"We know what we have to do, m'Lord. Don't worry—if we do kill them, we'll make sure they cough before they croak, eh?" Vox said.

"I certainly hope so," Woltar said.

"That will be quite enough. Now is not the time for us to haggle over such matters," King Airyglyph said.

"Indeed it is not." Vox agreed.

"Vox, continue your interrogation. Woltar and Albel, return to your posts. We are counting on your knights. You are the pride of our great kingdom."

"Yes, sire," Vox and Woltar said in unison. Albel remained silent.

Meanwhile, in the dungeon; Cyrus was hung in shackles and whipped by the Inquisitor, who held out a whip and interrogated him after Fayt. He was covered in bruises and his face was covered by his hat. "Why don't you just spit it out! Play nice, and we'll treat you right," the Inquisitor said.

"_How many times have I heard that before?"_ Cyrus thought. _"Including in my world?"_

"That thing you were hiding—what waaaaas that? A new Aquarian weapon? Ehh?" He asked while holding Cyrus' chin. Cyrus remained quiet. "Answer the question!" he demanded as he punched his victim's stomach.

"What... is this... Aquaria... chump?" the winded Cyrus asked. "'Cause... I don't... know... what the hell... ya talkin' about..."

"Suuuuure you doooon't! Aahahahaha!" the Inquisitor started laughing as he whipped the teen. Cyrus fainted from his stinging punishment. "Damn, he fainted on me. And it was juuuuust getting fun! See you again soon, my little kitten! Hahahaha…" The Inquisitor turned to the guard. "You! Throw this one in the cell!"

"Yes sir!" Later on, Cyrus was thrown back in the cell with his comrades, hood raised from the impact.

"Hey," Cyrus said.

"Hey," An exhausted Fayt replied.

"Hey," Cliff said.

"Yo, you all right," Cliff asked.

Cyrus looked as his comrades and how injured he was compared to them. "Yeah, just peachy." Cyrus then looked around. "Hey, where's my MP3 player!" Cyrus shouted. Cliff shook his head over to the guard. It seems the man knew how to attach the phones to his ears. "Oh this is whack!" he shouted.

"Well Cyrus, you held your own back there," Cliff said. "I would've expected at least a snivel from you."

"Heh... I've delt with harder. Look at you dude?" Cyrus said as he looked at Cliff's harness.

"Oh, yeah. Well tighter restraints for stronger people I suppose."

"Cyrus..." Fayt called.

"What up?" Cyrus said.

"Have you found something out?"

"Yeah."

"Like what?"

"The Inquisitor is a damn douche bag."

"I heard that... Say, have you also heard of a place called Aquaria?"

"Nope. The only thing I got was that our ship is supposedly a new Aquarian weapon."

"I guess that's their enemy or something," Cliff said.

"So they figure we're spies?" Cyrus asked.

"Looks that way." Cliff was trying to wriggle out of his restraints. "Damn, still nothing."

"I think that's the reason the word 'restrain' is in 'restraints', Cliff," Cyrus said.

"Ha ha. You slay me." Silence had filled the cell. The only thing breaking it was Cyrus' MP3 Player. Cyrus knew that the song that was playing was "The Formula" by The Doc. He was intent on listening.

"Do you think Mirage got away okay?" Fayt asked.

"Aww, she'll be fine. Like I told you, she's a Klausian. I bet she snuck off into town a long time ago."

"I hope you're right. Grr… How'm I supposed to rescue my dad trapped like this? I don't know why the Vendeeni captured him, but I doubt they're showing him much hospitality."

"No offense, Fayt," Cyrus said, still bending toward the guard, "but we're not doing so hot ourselves if you haven't noticed. If you ask me, I'm guessing he's getting some better perks than we are."

"Hey, cheer up," Cliff said. "Somebody'll show up to spring us outta this place soon enough. Then we'll be on our way, you'll see."

"And who would that 'somebody' be?" Fayt said. "You told Mirage she shouldn't bother coming in after us—and it's not like we know anybody else. And I doubt your leader's found out about what happened to us yet…"

"They're here already," Cliff interupted.

"What? Who?" The Airyglyph soldier that guarded the dungeon was knocked to the ground, groaning. What was revealed to them, was a red-head woman. The team was surprised, all except for Cyrus.

"_Well, it was about time, Nel,"_ he thought. Fayt gasped.

"Friend or foe, I dunno—but there's somebody here," Cliff said.

"Talk about your deja vu!" Cyrus said.

Fayt and Cliff stood up. "Hey," Cliff said.

"You have two options: accept my conditions and live, or refuse, and die here. It's your choice," the woman said.

"Oh gee," Cyrus said, "Decisions, decisions..."

"Huh?" Fayt said.

"What kind of options are those?" Cliff asked.

"The correct choice should be obvious," the red-head said.

"So, what're your conditions?"

"I want your help. That's all."

"Our help?"

"That's right. You three were riding that lump of metal that fell on the town, correct? We want your technology."

"Our technology…?" Cyrus said.

"We can't let you have that?" Fayt replied.

"Why not?" the red head asked.

"Why not? Well—"

"And what would you do with our technology, if we gave it to you?" Cliff asked.

"We'd use it to end the war that rages between this country and mine. With our side victorious, of course."

"Hold on a minute…'your country'? So you're not one of the people that threw us in here?" Fayt asked.

"No. I'm not from Airyglyph. I'm from Aquaria."

"Aquaria… The interrogator kept mentioning that name." Fayt said.

"Makes sense, now." Cliff said.

"If you've been interrogated, I wouldn't think you'd have any particular loyalty to Airyglyph. Why not help me?"

"You think so?" Cyrus said. "Hell, I want to give that fat ass with the whip a workout of my own. Count me in."

"Good point. We'll help you," Cliff said.

"What are you saying?" Fayt yelped.

"Give us a moment, all right?" Cliff said to the woman. With arms folded and head cocked, she waits patiently. The group moved into a corner. "Shut your trap, kid."

"But she wants our technology! What were you planning on teaching them?" Fayt asked.

"Dude, I know what you mean, but that don't matter!" Cyrus said.

"C'mon, you saw this civilization's level of technology. Look, all they need is a little college physics—and I don't know about you, kid, but I was paying attention in class," Cliff said.

"You're right about that—but what about the UP3?" Fayt asked.

"Screw the UP3, home boy. Now's not the time for your law and order," Cyrus said.

"Man, what a square!" Cliff said. "Then again, maybe that's your redeeming feature, huh? Straight as an arrow just like…well…" he then cut himself off, knowing he was letting out to much information.

"Just like who?"

"Huh? Did I say something? Never mind, kid."

"I'm minding."

"Geez, forget about it! Listen—based on what she said, we must be in Airyglyph right now, and this place is at war with her country, Aquaria. You with me so far?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Okay, both sides think we have some kind of unknown technology. Well, that makes sense—a big flying metal thing did land in the middle of a medieval town, what else could they think?"

"I have a few thoughts, but I'm not gonna share," Cyrus said. There was a brief pause.

"Even if we don't cooperate with her, Airyglyph will want our help, too. I doubt their terms'll be any better."

"I believe ya, Cliff."

"Yeah, but..." Fayt said.

"So what I'm saying is, if we're gonna cooperate with someone, it might as well be that hot chick over there, know what I mean?" Fayt and Cyrus were stunned to Cliff's proposal. Cyrus slowly shook his head side to side.

"Half of me sorta agrees with you, Cliff. Yet the other half is thinking... YOUR WHACK MAN!" Cyrus said.

"I can't believe this. You're insane." Fayt said.

"Well, okay, let's say that was a joke. Either way, we can do whatever we want once we're outta this place. We'll just wait for our chance and make a run for it. We're not doing much better here in prison with our hands all in shackles. And if we die here, who's gonna rescue your dad, huh? I figured you'd want to meet him in this life, not the next."

Fayt thought briefly for a minute. "All right, you win, for now." Fayt said reluctantly

"Let's do it," Cyrus said.

"Atta boy," Cliff said. The three walked over to the woman on the other side of the bars. "All right, we discussed it. We'll help you. Now get us outta here."

"Then we have a deal. Step back from the bars." The men moved from their cage's barrier. Nel put her hand down. Suddenly, an aura surrounded her arm and a then a blast of power broke open the door. " Cliff whistled and Fayt looked stunned. Cyrus also couldn't believe it, even though he already passed this part of the game.

"_And the weird thing," _Cyrus thought, _"is that I have that power!"_

"You're free," the woman said. The three walked out of the cell to thank her.

"Thanks for getting us outta there. Now, uh…can you use that little trick of yours to get these off us, too?"

The red head walked walked behind Cliff. "Don't move," she warned. As quick as a flash, the woman cut through the restraints with her blades.

As soon as they were free, Cyrus knelt to the ground to retrieve his MP3 Player. "Thanks a lot!" he said.

"Thank you very much," Fayt said.

"Yeah, thanks," Cliff said.

"No thanks needed. I'm just doing my job. But I'm going to hold you to your part of the bargain," the woman said.

"Huuhh?" Cliff said.

"You said you'd cooperate with us. Don't think you can just wait for your chance to run, either, because I won't let you. If you try… I'll kill you," she threatened.

"Gah!" was the sound that came out of a surprised Cliff

"Hey… She heard us," Fayt said.

"I should thank you for calling me 'hot,' though chick' I can live without."

"Sca-ree," Cliff said.

"Nice skill, Cliff," sneered Cyrus.

"I'm Nel Zelpher—agent for the Sacred Kingdom of Aquaria."

"My name's Fayt Leingod. And this is..."

"Cliff Fittir."

"Cyrus Splicer's the name. Ravaging is my game."

"Fayt, Cliff and Cyrus… My pleasure. So—where are you from, and what is the metal thing you came here in?" Nel asked.

"What do we tell her?" Fayt whispered.

"Just follow my lead. I'll handle this," Cliff said.

"Y-yeah, sure…"

"Try not to blow it up this time, G," Cyrus said.

"We're from a country on a continent far to the east of here. It's a pretty small country, so nobody's really heard of it, but we've got some pretty solid technology." Cliff said.

"From the east? One of the countries in Greeton? Not the country that invaded Aquaria…"

"That what you call it here? Yeah, that's where we're from. We're engineers."

"What are engineers from Greeton doing in Airyglyph?"

"Well, the long story'd take all day, so I'll give you then short version. Fayt's dad got, uhh, captured by an enemy country. We were on our way to rescue him in this newly developed, uhh, vehicle, but it broke down on the way—and we ended up here."

"Yeah. The mech is still pretty damaged from a –er, accident. Now we have to wait for our homies to arrive," Cyrus added.

"I see…" Nel said. "So you are from Greeton. I thought as much."

"How so?" Cyrus said.

"There is no country on this continent with that level of technology. It was an easy conclusion."

"Well, you satisfied?" Cliff asked.

"More or less. What I am sure of is: there's no way we can let Airyglyph have you. You must cooperate with us."

"We 'must?'" Cyrus said. "Situation must be that dire!"

"Nel… That's your name, right?" Fayt said.

"Yes?"

"What do you mean by cooperate? What technology did you want, exactly?"

"Yes, well…!"

Suddenly, the voice of a guard interrupted Nel's explanation. "What's going on down here? Hey, you—Whaa--?"

"They're changing the guard already?" Nel asked. "You three, you have any fighting experience?"

"Huh? Why?" Fayt pondered.

"Because you're about to get some."

"Don't you worry about us. You could say we're above average." Cliff said.

"You might be able to fight with your bare hands, but I need some kinda weapon…"

"I can do without a weapon," Cyrus said, "but I need one just for a little 'punch' at the party,"

"I thought this might happen. In there." Fayt and Cyrus walked over to a chest near the cell. Fayt opened the box and retrieved their equipment.

"What's this?" Fayt asked.

"Your stuff. I got it back for you," Nel said.

"Great. Thanks," Cliff said.

"Yeah, you're a life saver," Cyrus replied.

"One more thing… …Fayt—right? You can't go around dressed like that. I don't know if the size will match or not; anyway, put those on," Nel said.

"Th-thank you," Fayt said. He went back to the cell and put on his new attire that consisted of a sword holster, a new jacket and long pants.

"Alright," Cyrus said, "are you ready?"

"Yes. Let's go." Fayt said.

"Right," Nel said. They ran to through the pathway. As soon as they turned a corner, two soldiers and the Inquisitor ran at them.

"Hello my cats," the Inquisitor said. "Where do you think you're going."

"Let's get one thing straight, beefy," Cyrus said. "I'm a raptor. And we raptors got claws! We're bust out of this joint, so how 'bout you step aside."

"I don't think so."

"Oh yeah?" Cliff scoffed, "Who's gonna stop us?"

"I am," the Inquisitor said, "And when we get through with you, you and that Aquarian friend of yours are mine." He started cackling like a madman.

"I don't think so," Nel said.

"That's right," Fayt said. "Now let us through."

"Sorry, but we can't have you spies escape," the Inquisitor said. "ATTACK!" he yelled.

The Airyglyph soldiers quickly charged at them with the Inquisitor not far behind. Cyrus and Nel dealt with the attacking tormentor. Nel jumped up and catapulted herself at the enemy while Cyrus pushed him with the sword. The Inquisitor slammed into both combatants, sending them backward. Nel sidestepped and started summoning a spell. "Fire Bolt!" Nel yelled. Two fireballs had traveled and hit the Inquisitor's face. The massive man had suffered the hit. Cyrus looked and suddenly felt something on his shoulders.

"_What the–?" _he thought. He then remembered the inscriptions on his shoulders. _"Wait. I forgot that I could use symbology too. Alright, let's start my first lesson."_ He smirked and ran back taking aim with his right arm. "Nel!" Cyrus called.

"What is it?"

"Cover me. I'm gonna try something." Nel looked back at him and saw that Cyrus was charging a spell himself as a large ball of energy formed on his hand. Nel ran at the Inquisitor who was about to attack Cyrus. As soon as she slashed him with the Baselard blade she carried, the torturer turned his attention on the red headed woman. The Inquisitor pulled out his whip and started to lash out, but Nel quickly evaded as soon as she heard Cyrus yell, "Fire Bolt!" The incoming fireball had made an impact on the Inquisitor's face as he looked back at Cyrus. The man fell over with a groaned, KO'd. Fayt and Cliff had already finished dealing with the soldiers who fell down themselves, groaning.

"Hurry. They'll be here any minute," Nel said.

"W-wait a sec…" Fayt said.

"Yes?"

"How are we gonna get out? There are lots of soldiers outside…"Fayt said.

Nel folded her arms and saw a barred passage way above. "We'll go out through there."

"A ventilation shaft?"

"Um, are you sure?" Cyrus asked.

"Looks like kind of a tight fit." Cliff said.

"Don't complain. If we can get through there, it widens out a bit. We'll just have to squeeze through that first part," Nel explained.

"Yeah, yeah..."

"Hey," Cyrus said. "I'd been in tighter spots than that, literally."

"Sure you have, kid," Cliff scoffed. Cyrus looked back at Cliff with a mean glare.

"Fayt, you go first. I'll bring up the rear," Nel suggested.

"Alright. First, how about I get rid of that bar," Cyrus said. He aimed his arm at the shaft. "Fire Bolt!" he yelled. The flame melted through the metal. The group climbed up to the opening and started crawling through the shaft. Fayt was in the lead, followed by Cyrus, Cliff and Nel.

"Hey Cyrus," Fayt said.

"Yo."

"I didn't know you could use symbology?"

"Heh. To tell you the truth, this was my first time."

"Your first!" Cliff said.

"Yeah," Cyrus said. "It sorta surprised me, too." They continued their trek through the hole. As Nel thought, it grew wider and larger. In a few minutes time, they had finally arrived in a new area in enemy territory. Cyrus started stretching, and popped his knuckles.

"Where are we?" Fayt asked.

"We're in the aqueducts that wind their way under the city," Nel said.

Cyrus started to yawn after he extended his back. "Nice place. Has its own waterfall"

"Aqueducts, huh?" Cliff was starting to move around, but he was slipping on the ice. "Hey, it's all frozen over."

"This comes as a surprise to you? It IS winter in Airyglyph. Didn't you see the snow falling outside?" Nel said.

"Hm, good point."

"Careful. You're no good to us if you fall in the water and freeze to death," Nel said.

"Sca-ree."

"Heh... So she does have a sense of humor," Cyrus said to himself.

"Thank you," Nel said.

"And good hearing."

"I appreciate the compliment."

"Argh... Can you here me now?" Cyrus said in a lower tone.

"Perfectly."

"Good."

Nel shook her head with a grin and arms folded. "Let's get moving. This way leads to the city, if we can make it," she advised. Cyrus put his headphones on and listened to his music. The party of four traveled through the underground realm for a half an hour. In one area, Fayt and the group stopped at a slope.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Cliff asked Fayt.

"Nothing. It's just the ground's frozen."

"Really?" Cyrus said. They examined the slippery path.

"Looks treacherous. We'll have to walk carefully," Cliff said.

"Right," Fayt agreed.

"No frozen ground is going to stop us," Cyrus said. The group walked through the frozen path. In the next room, Fayt was surprised at an unwanted discovery.

"What the–?" Fayt gasped.

"Another big hassle to deal with…" Cliff said.

"It's probably ruled these aqueducts for ages," Nel said. The creature was a Giant Crab that was ready to kill its intruders. It made a loud roar that bounced off the cave walls.

"Oh great. Who got a crab hammer?" Cyrus said.

Cyrus turned set his MP3 player and started listening to "Gigantic Fleet" from Panzer Dragoon Orta. The battle started as the gang charged at the colossal crustacean. Cyrus and Fayt attacked the front of the crab where the enemy hit them with a powerful swing of it's pincer. Fayt was toppled to the ground while Cyrus has frozen solid. Nel jumped up and made impact with the creature in the air after it was juggled by the powerful kicks from Cliff. Cyrus had thawed out and rejoined the battle. The crab entered its major attack mode, raising one claw up and swiped it at its opposition. Everyone was sent backward.

"It's shell is too hard!" Fayt said.

"There must be a weak spot somewhere?" Nel said.

"This thing is at very advanced stage. Damned evolved bastard!" Cyrus said. The crab gave another loud roar.

Suddenly, Cyrus heard a voice that originated from behind. "Are you giving up that easily, Cyrus?" it said.

He turned around and saw his teacher. Everything froze. "Master Diogo?"

"Cyrus, don't you remember your new found powers? You have already invoke one of them. Now it is time to tap in the next. Use these skills to your advantage," his teacher said.

"But I'm not sure I could control these powers," Cyrus said in a worried tone.

"Don't be troubled my student. You are the only one that can contain them. The decision is up to you."

Cyrus thought to himself for a second as his hat covered his face. "Alright. Since I already used my Fire Bolt, it's time to try out my new tech." The image of his master disappeared and everything started running back to normal speed. Cyrus got up to his feet as he used a skill that would end the battle. Fayt risen up, not to long afterward.

"You ready, Fayt?" Cyrus asked.

"Let's do it."

The crab was in range to unleash it special attack: Energy Burst. The claws had opened up and balls of power started to expand.

"This isn't looking good," Cliff said.

"It's time," Cyrus said. "I ain't going down, not today." Fayt and Cyrus unleashed their attacks. Fayt used his Blade of Fury. He raised his blade up and a force of light hit the monster. He then lowered the sword where another ray of light had hit the monster. The last assault was dealt as he shot a stream of energy at the monster, damaging it even further. The crab was weakened but it again tried to unleash the Energy Burst. Unfortunately, Cyrus' move, Shadow Slash; had sealed its fate. He was surround himself in a dark aura that had also concealed his sword. He ran at the side of the creature, blade cutting through the crab's armor. As soon as he reached the tail, Cyrus raised his sword. The Giant Crab made one last cry, and its legs finally gave way to it's massive body. The battle was finally over.

"Phew… We somehow pulled that off," Fayt said.

"I'm surprised such a creature would make its lair here. Based on the distance we've traveled, we must be nearing the exit," Nel said.

Cyrus looked back at where the crab was. _"That's the last I'll look at shellfish," _he thought to himself. The group of tired warriors continued their travel to the exit.

* * *

Author's Note 1: Cyrus has tapped into his hidden powers of Darkness and Fire in the last chapter. What other surprises are in store for our OPS (Out-of-Place-Shizznit)? 


	8. Chapter 7

* * *

Author's Note 1: Sorry for the delay. So much to do this month. Anyways, let's get back to the adventures of our hero, shall we?

* * *

Part 7.1: The Center of it All

With Nel leading the group of escapees, they finally made it out of the Airyglyph Aqueducts. Nel ordered the Cyrus, Cliff and Fayt to stay behind. The exit was on the side of a mountain overlooking the city. She took the exit and looked out from the hillside. The coast was clear. "Come on out," Nel said. The three walked out of the exit.

Cliff stood and looked at the city. "Ahhh, nice to see the sun! I was down in that muck so long I thought I was going to mildew!" he said, stretching his arms.

"Nel, about what you were saying… You were talking about technology, but what exactly do you want us to do for you?" Cyrus asked.

"I'll explain, but remember: refusal isn't an option." Nel said.

"I don't know about that… I won't do anything that I don't want to do. And there's always a chance we won't be able to do what you ask," Fayt explained.

"I told you in the dungeons that I required your technology, did I not?" Nel asked.

"Right, but what does that entail?"

"Look, if this was going to be a problem, you should have asked me before you accepted my conditions. By agreeing to cooperate—even just to get out of the dungeon—you're bonded to me. Those were the conditions of your release, and I expect you to uphold them."

"I… But…" Fayt said in a stumbling tone.

"Or are you planning on breaking your word?"

"Look, you didn't even give us a real choice! 'You can live or you can die'—that's called 'coercion,' you know," Cliff said.

"So, you won't cooperate."

"When did I say that?"

"Oh geez." Cyrus said.

Cliff walked over to Fayt and Cyrus. "Whaddya say, let's help her out?" he asked.

"What are you talking about? What about the UP3?" Fayt said.

"This is no time for laws, man," Cyrus said.

"That may be, but still..."

"Excuse me," Nel interrupted. "Can we save the discussion for later? We're not exactly safe here. Of course, if you want to head back to the dungeon, be my guest…"

"No thanks!" Cliff said.

"All right, then be quiet and follow," she said in a stern tone. "I'll tell you everything when we get out of town."

The young men thought about their decision briefly."Okay," Fayt agreed.

"It's not like we have a choice anyway," Cyrus shrugged.

"Good… My people have a wagon waiting for us outside town. The exit's to the east—let's go!" The group of four walked down the mountain trail and into Airyglyph. As they walked through the town, Cyrus saw what appeared to be, a pile of smoke coming from the north side of town. _"It must be the Eagle," _he thought. _"It would be great if we could get some supplies, but it's crawling with those jerks in shining armor. I wonder where Mirage snuck off to?_"

"Hey Cyrus, something wrong?" Cliff asked.

Cyrus quickly turned his head back to the front. "No. It's nothing." Cyrus put his earplugs back in his ears. "C'mon. Fayt and Nel are ahead. Let's catch up." The two quickened their pace and rejoined Nel and Fayt. They left the city, and arrived in the Traum Mountains, a mountain range surrounding Airyglyph. The group spotted the wagon. They walked over and saw two women that waited nearby.

"Sorry I'm late," Nel said.

A blonde, cold looking looked at them and walked over. "Lady Nel! Our preparations are complete, ma'am. We can leave immediately!" the cold-looking woman said.

"Nice work, Tynave."

"I'm just glad you're safe."

Another, even colder looking woman with purple hair walked over. "Lady Nel! Are the the ones, ma'am?" she asked.

"Yes, Farleen. They're engineers from Greeton, as we thought," Nel said.

"So we were right!" Tynave said.

"Great! Then we'll be able to complete it!" Farleen said.

"That's right. But we don't have time to kick back and chat now. Our pursuers are right behind us. If the Dragon Brigade shows up, we'll be in serious trouble." Nel said.

"Yes ma'am"

"Ma'am," Tynave and Farleen said in unison and saluted.

"Get in the wagon. We leave immediately," Nel said. The guys entered the back of the wagon, as did Tynave and Nel. Farleen walked to the drivers seat and took control of the lum's (a horned horse) reins. The wagon drove away from the bridge and started traveling to their next destination. Inside the wagon, Tynave and Nel sat on one side, while Fayt, Cliff and Cyrus sat on the other.

"Hey, you gonna introduce me to these fine young ladies?" Cliff asked.

"This is Tynave and the driver's Farleen. They serve directly under me—my ears and eyes in Airyglyph. They're the ones who told me about you two," Nel explained.

"Lucky for us," Fayt said.

"All women, huh? Not that I'm complaining!"

"Aquaria is ruled by the Holy Mother of the Church of Apris. We employ many more women than Airyglyph."

"The Church of Apris?" Fayt asked.

"Yes, the church of the Sun God Apris. The Holy Mother leads the church—and is also Queen of Aquaria."

"A theocracy..." Fayt said.

"God's divinity rules all..." Cyrus said.

"I gotcha," Cliff said. "What you're saying is your country's packed with temple maidens. Now I HAVE to see this place."

"Nel, I'd appreciate it if you answer my question now," Cyrus said.

"Right. But before that, might I ask one thing?" Nel asked.

"What?"

"Are you two really engineers from Greeton?"

"Well, umm…"

"Hey, you still don't believe us?"

"It's not that. It's just… The fact that you possess special technology and knowledge is clear to me—so, yes, it does seem likely that you are who you say. Still, something doesn't fit. The way you respond to danger, and your fighting ability indicate that you are not telling me everything. And…you are certainly not average engineers. So you see… I believe my doubts are well founded," Nel explained. The three were silent for a minute.

"Well..." Fayt trailed off.

"Okay, you got a point. But it seems to me you're just going to have to take our word. We got nothing to gain by lying to you anyway. Wait, you don't think we're Airyglyph spies, do you? Oh, please," Cliff said.

"Yes, I see what you mean," Nel said.

"But…you still don't trust us?"

"No, I trust you. In any case, I was ordered by Her Majesty to bring you to Aquaria. I must fulfill my duty."

"…Well then, Nel? Please answer my first question," Cyrus said.

"Yes… Since you're unfamiliar with this region, I'll fill you in on the details while explaining our current situation."

"Please," Fayt said.

"Tynave, the map."

"Yes, ma'am," Tynave got up from her seat and walked over to get the map. She returned and spread it on the ground.

"This is Airyglyph, the town we just left. Everything to the west of this line is the nation of Airyglyph—a military superpower. Eastwards of the border is our country, Aquaria. You follow?" Fayt, Cyrus and Cliff nodded in agreement. "As I mentioned earlier, Aquaria and Airyglyph are at war. Airyglyph is a militaristic nation that reveres power above all else; Aquaria is a peaceful nation that worships the Church of Apris. Aquaria and Airyglyph maintained friendly relations until several years ago. But one day, they invaded our territory without warning."

"It seems they'd been planning their invasion for some time. Airyglyph's a frigid land ringed by mountains. Food production has never been easy here—especially in winter. We believe they were after our land, fertile with the blessing of Apris," Tynave added.

"A war of aggression, huh?" Cliff said.

"Correct. There was no diplomacy, only outright military aggression. We resisted, but we were outmatched. Somehow, we managed to hold them back, but the bordertown of Arias was laid to waste. Still, the war has not been completely one-sided. We may be lacking in military power, but we do have runology."

"Runology?" Fayt asked.

"A secret art handed down by the followers of Apris. We inscribe special runes into our flesh that enable us to invoke normally impossible phenomenon… Thus the name 'runology.'"

"Hey, isn't that like symbology?" Cliff asked.

"Symbology! Right, that's what it reminded me of!" Fayt said. "Speaking of which, Cyrus, don't you have those markings?"

"I think so." Cyrus pulled off one of his jacket's sleeves and showed a strange tattoo that went from the shoulder, down.

"Symbology?" Nel said, confused.

"Er, never mind that. Just continue," Cliff said.

"But—what's stopping you from using runology to keep Airyglyph back?" Fayt asked.

"There's only a few of us that can use runology. Far too few to help us stand up to Airyglyph. That's why we decided to develop a weapon that makes use of runology. It's a man made weapon that uses the special energy evoked by runology as a power source. The engineers have named that energy 'channeled force.'"

"'Channeled Force?'" Fayt said.

"Correct. It's similar to lightning. But there are still a number of problems preventing us from cooperating the weapon."

"A power…similar to lightning?"

"Just when our research ground to a halt, Tynave and Farleen told me about you two. They also brought back a fragment of that thing that fell into Airyglyph. It was of great interest to our researchers. They said the fragment was of a material they could not identify, and that we should enlist your aid in our weapons development. And that's where I came in."

"So you're asking us to help develop a weapon that uses channeled force?"

"Yes. That is correct," Nel said.

"Hey, I bet we could use their power to make us a communicator," Cliff said.

"Yeah—a radio wave device, maybe," Fayt said. "I don't really know much about this 'channeled force,' but my guess is it's electricity."

"Sounds like they're simply using themselves as batteries to charge up their toy, know what I mean?" Cyrus said.

"Right, and if we can make that, we're home free, but… Nel, I can't do it. We can't help you," Fayt said.

"Didn't I say refusal wasn't an option?"

"But you're talking about a weapon that will kill many people! I don't want to have any part of that."

"Plus, we don't have any time to spare," Cyrus said.

"I understand your situation—you need to hurry to save your father,

correct?"

"Yes."

"You admit this is a personal problem—not one that concerns us?"

"True, but…"

"Our country's in a state of war. Both the people of Aquaria and Airyglyph are dying, energy weapon or no. A quick end to this war will reduce the number of lives lost. That is why we need to complete our new weapon as soon as possible," Nel said.

"This is starting to remind me of my old Earth history lessons…" Cliff said.

"Even so, that's not a good enough reason for me to build a weapon," Fayt said.

"So you're going back on your word?" Nel said.

"That's coercion!" Cyrus said.

"Call it what you will. I already told you back at the prison I could not let you live if you refuse to cooperate. I don't have anything against you two, but my duty comes first. And I don't need to

remind you that you can't help your father if you're dead."

"Now hold up!"

"What do you think Airyglyph would do if we abandoned you here?"

"We wouldn't help them, either!" Fayt said.

"I wonder if you'd sing the same song after their inquisitor had his fun with you."

"…I would. I've got the bruises to prove it," Cyrus said.

"Confident, aren't you?" Stern silence had fell in the wagon.

Cliff shook his head. "Hey, don't get all bent outta shape," he said to Nel. Then he turned to the boys, "And you, chill out."

"But…!" Fayt said.

"No buts, kid. Nothing good comes of acting hastily."

"We have no other choice," Nel said. "Frankly, the war with Airyglyph will escalate unless something is done soon. If we could only complete the new weapon, the situation would shift in our favor. If that means we must force uncooperative people into submission, then so be it."

"Is that the teaching of Apris?" Fayt asked.

"Of course not. The Sun God Apris and our queen would never wish such things. Yet if we do not act, they will find themselves lacking for followers. Would you rather we submit to their swords, like lambs to a slaughter?"

"That's not what I mean."

"But that is what you are saying."

"You're just twisting my—"

"Oh no!" Farleen yelled.

"What the–!"

"Huh? What is it, Farleen?" Nel asked.

"We have company! I think it's the Dragon Brigade!"

"They've caught up with us? Damn, we were so close to Kirlsa, too!"

"What are you gonna do? Fight?" Cliff said.

"I'm willing to give those fools a beatin'," Cyrus said. Nel shook her head in disagreement.

"Lady Nel..."

"What is it, Tynave?"

"It would be best for you to slip off and find shelter in the rocks—We'll lure them away!" she said.

"That's too risky!" Fayt said.

"You might not survive!" Cyrus said.

"Don't worry," Tynave said.

"We'll be fine! We've lost their kind before!" Farleen said.

"But..." Nel and Cliff walked to the back of the wagon.

"Tynave, Farleen, I'm counting on you." Nel said. "Okay you three, let's go."

Fayt ran over and placed his hand on Nel's shoulder. "This is insane! You're just gonna let them go on?"

"You are too valuable for us to lose!" Tynave said. "We'll be fine—fewer people means more speed. We'll outrun them! So please, go!"

"No time for chitchat. Let's move,"Cliff said as he opened the back.

"But..."

"Fayt—Please, look after Lady Nel," Tynave said.

"Cyrus–– Don't worry. We'll get out of this okay. We always do," Farleen said looking back.

"_If only this was one of those lucky breaks,"_ Cyrus thought.

Fayt nodded to Tynave's request. " You be careful yourself!"

"Don't worry about us!" Farleen said. "May the grace of Apris be with you!"

"May the grace of Apris be with you!" Tynave saluted. Fayt walked over to the exit. Cyrus bowed to the girls and fallowed. They jumped out of the wagon and took shelter behind rocks near the main path. It wasn't long until three dragon flying soldiers appeared in hasty pursuit of the wagon.

Nel peeked between a couple of rocks. "The Dragon Brigade. I feared they'd show up sooner or later. It shows how important you are to them," she said.

"Oh man," Cyrus said. "Just when you think it's safe to take a walk..."

"That's the Dragon Brigade?"

"Correct. They're one of Airyglyph's three military branches—Knights riding powerful air dragons. Not to be trifled with. Time to go. While Tynave distracts them, we can go through Kirlsa and enter Aquaria territory."

"Wait a moment," Fayt said. "I haven't agreed to cooperate with you yet. And we can't leave them here! There's no way they'll be able to escape with those dragon knights chasing them…"

"Yes, there is an extremely good chance that they'll be caught. But there's nothing we can do about that."

"What?"

"They knew the dangers of their mission when they accepted it." Fayt gasped. "If I became a burden to the mission, they would leave me behind in the same way."

"Mission, mission—what's the matter with you?" Fayt said, grabbing Nel's shoulder.

"Hey, Fayt. Shut up," Cliff said.

"But..."

"I'll leave whether or not we cooperate up to you two, but save the debate for later! We got to get somewhere safer first." Fayt groaned and Cyrus remained quiet with his arms tucked in his pockets of his jacket. "We'll be safer once we reach Aquaria, right?" Cliff asked Nel.

"Yes, I can guarantee that."

"There you are. So let's go there, then we can decide what's what. Make sense to you?"

"Yeah, but still…" Fayt said.

"You want Tynave and Farleen's sacrifice to go to waste? Whatever their objective might be, they're risking their lives to save us!"

"...You're right," Cyrus said.

"Atta boy."

"Let's go," Nel said. The group used the trail they were on to reach they're destination. As soon as they reached halfway, Fayt started stumbling. Nel walked over to check up on him. "What's wrong?"

"My head... Uhh!" Fayt knelt to the ground, holding his head.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Nel asked.

"Uhh… I just felt dizzy there for a minute."

"We'll be in Kirlsa soon. Can you make it that far? Why don't you have him carry you…"

"I'm fine… I'm not a baby, geez," he said, slapping Nel's hand off and continuing the trek.

"_I guess these are his powers trying to manifest," _Cyrus thought.

"Very well," Nel said, raising up one hand. She and Cyrus start catching up to Fayt. Cliff stood there, pondering at the event. He continued walking as well.

* * *

Part 7.2: Resting in Enemy Lines

In a few minutes after the event, the team of Nel, Cyrus, Cliff and Fayt finally arrived in the mining town of Kirlsa from the West Gate. "This is Kirlsa. If we can get through this town, we'll be in Aquaria," Nel said. She turned to Fayt, who sat on a rock, suffering from fatigue. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine..." Fayt said in a stubborn tone.

"Don't overexert yourself. Remember, you're not as strong as we are," Cliff said.

"Now even you're treating me like a baby. I said I'm fine."

"Yeah, well, I'm saying you don't look fine at all."

"Yo," Cyrus said. "Don't be pushing yourself too hard."

"I'd prefer to just leave this town now, but that won't be possible with Fayt in this condition… Let's stay here tonight," Nel suggested.

"What about those chumps on our tail?"

"We'll be okay if Tynave and Farleen succeed in leading them off… And in any case, we have nothing to gain by forcing a sick person to march."

"True enough."

"And we're in luck. There's an inn right over there, in that building with the wagon outside. Let's go." The group walked over to the inn. They entered and booked a room on the top floor. "I'll see you later."

"Where're you going?" Cyrus asked.

"I'm just going to check things out. I'll be right back."

"All right, but are you sure you should leave us alone? Aren't you afraid we'll just run away?" Cliff asked.

"No. You won't run out on me. I trust you, remember?"

"Oh, don't say that. Now we can't run away…"

"Heh heh. I don't mind you walking around, just don't leave the town. And don't do anything…conspicuous. We're still in Airyglyph territory. There's no telling where the enemy is hiding."

"Gotcha," Cyrus said.

"All right," Fayt said.

"Later then." Nel walked back downstairs and headed for town.

"What're you gonna do?" Cliff asked.

"Don't worry about me. What are you gonna do?" Fayt asked.

"I'm conspicuous just walking around… Well, it's gonna be pretty boring, but I guess I'll just have to wait right here." Cliff said.

"I think I'll take a walk—I'm sure it'll do me good."

"Sounds like a good idea," Cyrus said.

"What about you Cyrus?" Cliff asked.

"I'm thinking about hittin' the town, myself. Restock on some supplies. Though I think I also saw a pretty tight long coat."

"All right, but be careful. Like she said, we're still in enemy territory," Cliff suggested.

"Yeah. I know," Fayt said.

"You worry too much, playa," Cyrus said shaking his head side to side. "Well, holla at ya boys." Cyrus walked out of the room, followed by Fayt. "See ya late, Fayt."

"Okay." Cyrus and Fayt parted. Cyrus spied on the same coat that he spotted earlier. It was black, with the bottom split in two. Cyrus smirked and went into the store.

"Hello, sir. What can I do for you?" said a store clerk inside.

"Yeah, how much is that coat?" Cyrus asked.

The clerk looked over at the clothing Cyrus looked at. "It's 300 fol."

"Really?" Cyrus put his hands in his pocket. _"I bet that when I entered this place, my money also changed turned into Fol. I hope I'm right,"_ Cyrus thought. He pulled out the money out of his wallet and discovered that it was in fol. "Here you go, mister," Cyrus said as he placed the money on the desk.

"Alright. Here's you're coat, sir." Cyrus took the coat from the man and put it on. "Have a nice day." Cyrus left the shop and fastened the first five buttons.

"_Oh man, this is great!" _he thought. _"Now time to check this place out." _Cyrus started wondering through town with the tails of his coat floating above the ground as he walked. He walked to the southern part of town where a saw an old man wearing a cloak.

"Hello down there," Cyrus said.

The sermonic man looked up. "Ah, hello there young man." Cyrus waved back. "Say, would you like to hear a story about the what is going on? From the look on your face, you appear to not have the foggiest idea on the events taking place."

"Well sure. I'll be right down." Cyrus took the stairs that led down to the man who stood in front of the tunnel.

"What I am about to tell you is strictly private. The people here are really sensitive about what they hear."

"Alright. You're secret is safe with me."

The man cleared his throat and began to speak. "One day, the church in our town was suddenly surrounded by dozens of soldiers who proceeded to arrest the many followers of the Church of Apris whom had gathered there. A subsequent investigation by Duke Vox, head of the Dragon Brigade, concluded that the believers of Apris who gathered there were plotting the assassination of His Royal Majesty. When His Royal Majesty heard about the assassination plot, he declared war on the Sacred Kingdom of Aquaria, which was thought to be behind the plot. That is why all the temples of the Church of Apris were burned to the ground and even the worship of the Rather God, Apris, was banned. Still I doubt the Queen or the High Priests of the Sacred Kingdom of Aquaria, let alone one of the tens of thousands of followers of Apris, intended to carry out such a terrible act as assassinating the King. It's actually quite a simple matter... Our country merely needed a reason like that so it could invade a sacred kingdom like Aquaria."

Cyrus was shocked at what he just heard. His mouth gapping and eyes wide open. _"What? This is the war of aggression?" _he thought. "This suffering, all because some high and mighty Captain wanted an incentive to start a war?" he said.

"Unfortunately so," the robed man said, nodding his head. "Lord Vox is, after all, not only the Captain of a formidable army, but the uncle of His Majesty."

"This is foolish! That Vox! He's nothin' but a power hungry asshole!"

"Shh! Watch your tongue, young one." the man warned. "There are eyes and ears everywhere. Nowhere is a safe place to be saying such things."

"You're right. I better go. Thanks for the info." Cyrus walked up the stairway.

"Take care, young one. Be careful."

Wandering around aimlessly, listening to "Raptor Wasteland" Cyrus thought about what has happened so far. He still couldn't believe that a war was waging just by the word of a religious zealot. As he strolled around the town, Cyrus had bumped into Fayt, literally; near a the a few houses. "Hey! Watch where you're- Fayt!"

"Oh sorry about that."

"Man, you're pretty careless, aren't you?"

"Look who's talking. Nice coat."

"Thanks. I thought that walking around with 'PHAT FARM' on a sweater was too obvious. So, I thought I might want to blend in a bit while keeping it real."

"I still have no idea what 'keeping it real means,'" Fayt said when he scratched the back of his head. "Did you find anything new?"

"Yeah. You know the war between this country and Nel's country?"

"You mean Aquaria?"

"Yeah. Anyway, the reason it started was because some fool blamed the followers of Apris, saying that they were gonna kill the King."

"You mean..."

"That's right. And you wanna know who it was?" Fayt nodded. "It was Lord Vox."

"Who's Vox?"

"The Captain who controls the Dragon Brigade. Because of him and his lie, Aquaria's slowly being destroyed. That's my primary reason why Nel wants our services."

"Like I said before, I'm not sure building this weapon is a good idea."

"You're right." Cyrus looked around. "Let's go find Nel, then get back to the inn."

"Good idea." Cyrus and Fayt searched everywhere. In a few hours, near the entrance they took; the two found who they were searching for. "Hey, is that–?" Fayt said.

"What's wrong homes?" Cyrus asked. Fayt signaled Cyrus to follow and remain silent. "Hey! It's Nel!" Cyrus whispered in astonishment. Nel was talking to a woman. Cyrus and Fayt walked up against the wall, trying to listen in on the conversation.

"…according to our latest information," the unknown woman said.

"I see… They're up to the same nasty tricks as always. Is it the Dragon Brigade?"

"No, it's the Black Brigade. Of course, the Dragon Brigade is backing them up."

"Whatever you do, please don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong. You know they plan to—"

Nel noticed Fayt and Cyrus hiding against the wall. "Go," she ordered.

"Yes, ma'am." The woman walked. As she turned the corner, she looked at the blue-haired swordsmen and the dark-clothed shizznit lying against the wall. Cyrus waved his hand and the woman wandered off. Cyrus and Fayt walked over to Nel, a little confused over what had taken place.

"What are you doing out here?" Nel asked.

"Nothing really. We were passing by and saw you, so…" Fayt said.

"Who was that?" Cyrus asked.

"She works for me, gathering intelligence here in Kirlsa… I was just checking up on her." Nel explained.

"Is something the matter?" Fayt asked. "You looked pretty grim…"

"Nothing unexpected. I've found out our pursuers are getting close to this town."

"That's it?" Fayt said.

"Yes... Why?"

"Oh well, no reason, really."

"We thought there was something more to it than that," Cyrus said.

"We can't afford to waste any time here." Nel said.

"You're right. We should go back to the inn. Think up something on the way."

The group walked back to the inn. As soon as they arrived to the top floor, their welcome was greeted by a bored Cliff. "Ah, there you are…huh?" Cliff was surprised when he saw Nel, Fayt and Cyrus coming in at the the time. "You three were together?"

"We ran into her at the entrance," Fayt said.

"Like he said," Nel added as she walked to the window..

"There wasn't anything more to do, so here we are," Cyrus said.

"Ah, I see." Cliff was still a little puzzled. He turned his attention to Fayt. "So how are you feeling now?"

"I'm okay. It must have just been the fatigue catching up with me."

"Right. Well, hope that's all it was."

"Sorry to worry you guys."

"Well, as long as you're okay. Don't sweat it."

"Cliff's right. We wouldn't go any further if dropped dead or somethin'," Cyrus said.

"It'll be night soon… You should rest up today. Tomorrow we'll pass through the Kirlsa Caverns," Nel informed.

"The Kirlsa Caverns?" Cliff said in a questionable tone.

"Sounds cool. What are they?" Cyrus asked.

"Mineshafts to the north of town. We'll go through there to Arias. Of course it'd be faster to go through the wilderness to the east, but we can't be sure that they aren't waiting to ambush us if we go that way."

"And the Kirlsa Caverns are safe?" Fayt asked.

"Well, at least we can be sure there are no Airyglyph soldiers to worry about."

"Spit it out. What's dangerous about the mineshafts?" Cliff said.

"Well, a number of monsters have taken up residence there. I'm not saying it's 100 safe."

"Riiight."

"Let's just say I'd rather face them than the soldiers. So now that everyone knows the plan, let's get some sleep. We leave early."

"Alright," Fayt said.

"Okay," Cliff said.

"Cool," Cyrus said. That night, Cyrus competed with Cliff on who got to sleep on the top bunk. They decided through the most brutal and unforgiving of games: Rock, Paper, Scissors. Cyrus won the match when he played his rock over Cliff's scissors. Cliff groaned in agony and was forced to sleep in a chairs. Fayt took the lower bunk while Nel laid against a wall. Cyrus went to sleep after he inserted his headphones in his ear.

* * *

Part 7.3: On a Rough Track

The next morning, Nel woke everyone up. They knew they had a busy day. Today was the day they finally reach their "actual" safe house in Aquarian territory.

"Nel, can I ask you something?" Fayt asked.

"What?"

"Do you think Tynave and Farleen got away okay?"

"They'll be fine. Those girls can fend for themselves. They are attached for these eventualities…"

"I hope you're right..."

"Hurry up and get ready. Our pursuers are not far away."

"Yeah, yeah..." Cliff said, still a bit groggy.

"What's wrong Cliff?" Cyrus asked. "Did baby wake up on the wrong side of the chair?" he taunted in a mocking voice.

"Watch it kid," Cliff snapped. "How about you sleep in a chair and see how it feels."

"I have. I'm just glad it wasn't me that night." Cyrus made a small chuckle, but Cliff wasn't in the mode for games and growled under his breath. The gang left the inn and went to the north side of town. They entered the cave.

"Well, we're in." Cliff said. "So what now?"

"Well, I happen to have a map of the place," Cyrus said. It wasn't an actual map, but a layout that he got on the computer back in his own dimension (not even he knew why he still had something like that).

"Alright, which way?" Fayt asked.

Cyrus looked at the forks in the road. Then he looked at the map. "How about we take that path," Cliff said, pointing on the left.

"No, we go right."

"Why should we go right?" Cliff asked.

"'Cause I got the map," Cyrus said.

"Map, shmap. My navigational abilities are far more sufficient than what's on that piece of paper."

"Yeah. You sure've shown us, playa," Cyrus sneered.

"Alright. We'll vote. Who wants to follow me, the most handsome in this group." Cliff was the only one that raised his hand.

"Fine. Who wants to follow a crazy kid with a piece of paper." Everybody raised their hands. Cliff was gaping.

"It's not like we don't wanna," Fayt said. "But he does have a map."

"You too?" Cliff shouted to Nel.

"I don't know about your abilities, but it would be better to leave out of here safely and as soon as possible."

"It's unanimous," Cyrus said. "Now, let's get crackin'." The group followed Cyrus and his "map" until they got to a door that led to a room. "'Ight. It say we have to go through this door and pull a switch."

"A switch?" Fayt asked.

"Yeah. That's the way we'll be able to leave."

"Alright then. Let's go," Nel said. Cyrus opened the door and everyone stepped in the room.

"This room looks like it was in use," Cyrus said.

"This used to be a mine, but they haven't dug here for decades—not since the ore ran out. These days, it's only used as a passage through the mountains. But even that's become dangerous because of cave-ins and such."

"I see." Suddenly, without warning, the ground shook violently. It caught the group by surprise.

"What the–?"

"That was no ordinary earthquake," Cliff said.

Cyrus looked up and saw a large monster called Earth Smasher descend to the floor. "Great. Another bump in the road," he said. "Let's turn Rocky here into gravel."

The battle started. Nel jumped up and catapulted at the stone menace while the other three charged at it. Cyrus and Fayt swung their blades, damaging the monster completely and Cliff punched the hell out of the monster. Unfortunately, the Earth Smasher broke out of the onslaught by swinging it hard fists about. Nel attacked from behind, but the monster quickly turned and punched Nel hard enough to knock her off her feet. Again they tried the frontal assault and again the strategy failed.

"Alright Cyrus," Cliff said. "You got us in. What now?"

"Stay tight." Cyrus turned to Nel. "Yo Nel," he called.

"What?"

"You have enough power for Fire Bolt?"

"Yeah. Why you ask?"

"Good, get ready to use it. Fayt, Cliff. We need you two to keep attacking it up front. Nel and I will keep using Fire Bolt."

"Sounds good. It seems like fire attacks are our best bet," Fayt said.

"Let's end this chump," Cyrus said.

Cyrus, Fayt and Cliff heard a loud cry. It was the Earth Smasher and it summoned Earth Glaive. They quickly stood up and jumped out of the direction of the attack. Cyrus saw Nel. They kept their distance and charged up their attacks. Meanwhile, Cliff and Fayt were ganging up on the rock monster, attacking from both of its flanks. In a few seconds, Cyrus and Nel shouted out "Fire Bolt!" at the same time. Three balls of flames traveled at high speeds. They past the target at first, changed course and contacted directly. It cried. Then Earth Smasher again used its Earth Glaive. The sharp rocks nearly made contact with Cyrus and Nel, lucky they sidestepped. Cyrus sensed that the Earth Smasher was weakened and thought enough was enough. He ran at the monster and, as soon as he was in range; unleashed Shadow Slash. Like a dark, streaking comet, Cyrus reduce Earth Smasher to a pile of sliced earth.

"Well, that was intense," Cyrus said.

"Didn't expect to run into something like that here," Fayt said.

"Kinda late for that now. Wonder if he's behind that cave-in?" Fayt thought out loud.

"It's a possibility," Nel said. "Don't let your guard down."

"Yeah."

Cliff walked over to the door and tried to pull. "Dammit. It's locked."

Cyrus walked over to a switch. "Hey guys," he called. "I think I found the switch."

"Great, but what does it do?" Fayt asked.

"Maybe it's starts up that device in the other room?" Nel said.

"Alright, but how do we know?" Cliff asked.

"We won't know until we try. Let's test the theory." Cyrus pulled down on the lever. They saw a gate open just below them. "Nel was right," he said.

"Alright Cyrus," Nel said. "Is there a passage that takes us back to that trail?"

Cyrus scanned the map. He saw the passage and remembered that it was the trail Cliff wanted to go through. "There's a path over there." He pointed to the next door. "All we have to do is follow that path and we'll be back on track."

"Okay," Fayt said. "Let's get going."

The group of four followed the passage on the map. As soon as they were at the end Cliff was in shock. "Hey! Didn't we just come from there?"

"Yeah. And where we're on, is the path you wanted us to use," Cyrus said. "Not too bad for a crazy kid with a piece of paper." Cliff looked up in anguish.

They followed the path and we're back in the room with the machine. They gathered near it.

"So, what's this thing?" Fayt asked.

"Hmm... An instruction manual?" Cyrus spotted.

"What does it say?" Cliff asked.

"Let's see... Airyglyph Department, yadda yadda yadda... wait. Hauler Beast?"

"A large creature with impressive strength," Nel explained. "They're mainly used in mining expeditions to transport materials."

Cyrus continued reading the manual. He turned back to the group. "Yo, yo. There are five haulers with five different natures. If we want to leave here, we should use the Steady."

"Why's that?" Fayt asked.

"Let's put it like this. Carefree only turns one way most of the time. Whimsical doesn't follow orders and likes to jump. Ill- Nature doesn't know its left from right and Aggressive has a mind of its own," Cyrus explained.

"When you put it like that," Cliff said, "I guess we really don't have a choice."

"Fayt, if you may be so kind as to do the honors." Cyrus stepped back and Fayt walked up.

He pressed the button that said Steady. The gates opened and they saw a large chelonian gallop on the track. "That's... a hauler beast?" Fayt said surprised. Everyone, except Nel; looked down at the strange creature.

"So you're telling me we're riding on that?" Cliff said.

"Wow. I always wanted to ride a giant, six legged turtle," Cyrus sarcastically said.

"Don't be fooled by their appearance. Hauler Beast are extremely intelligent creatures that are capable at reaching fast speeds."

"Yeah, sure. I believe you," Cyrus said.

"Well, if it's the only way out," Cliff said. "Then let's go."

"Right. No point in staying here," Fayt said. The group jumped and landed inside the wagon. Fayt held the reins. He tugged at the strap and the reptile started to move.

"We should also worry about the cave-ins and some of those barriers set on the tracks. They might give it stress," Cyrus pointed out.

"Alright," Fayt replied.

"Cyrus, which way do we go?" Nel said.

"We have to turn left first, then we have to take a right." Fayt slowed the animal down and turned left. The road was starting to get bumpy. Another fork appeared and Fayt tugged at the animal to turn right. Cyrus looked up and saw some rocks descending to the ground. "Watch out! Falling stones, ahoy!" Cyrus said. Fayt quickly pulled back on the straps. The Hauler Beast decelerated and the rocks came crashing down on the path. They rolled off and Fayt returned the Hauler to its regular speed.

"Which way now?" Fayt asked.

"We're not to far now," Cyrus said. "Just a few more left turns and we're outta here."

"Finally," Cliff said. Suddenly another group of rocks fell onto the track and Fayt had to lower the Hauler's speed again. The quick halt sent Cliff, Nel and Cyrus flying forward and hitting the wagon.

"Ouch! They should really put seatbelts on these things," Cliff said.

"Seatbelts?" Nel asked in a confusing tone.

"Err... Nevermind."

"Centrifical force... is a bitch, ain't it," Cyrus said.

"You guys okay?" a concerned Fayt asked.

"Just peachy," Cyrus replied as they tore themselves off the wall and sat back down.

"Now, about getting out..." Cliff said.

"Right. Like I said. As soon as we break through those gates, we should turn left and then you could say good-bye to this crazy cave." The hauler moved through the barriers and after the last turn, the creature slowly stopped at the barrier.

Cyrus and the gang stepped out of the wagon and were met by an old soldier. "You came through on this hauler?"

"We did, but uh..." Fayt trailed off.

"Amazing!" He shouted in surprise. "There are monsters prowling about, and the whole place has fallen into disrepair. There's also been some terrible rock slides and holes have opened up in some of the tunnels. It's a complete mess in there."

"Umm… Who are you?" Cyrus asked.

"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Gregory von Dermein III, administer of these caverns. I'm a member of the Glyphian army."

"Gregory... Uh..." Fayt was still whimsical about him.

"Ha ha ha… Just 'Gregory' will do," he said. " I'm only a rank and file soldier. This is a job suited to an old man such as me. Not that I like being old, mind you…"

"How interesting..." Fayt said.

"Whoops. There I go bellyaching again. Well now, if you made it here on that hauler, that must mean the tunnels are clear."

"Yep. There were a few dangerous parts, but nothing that prevented us from making it through," Cyrus said.

"I see… Well then, I'll drive this one back. I was a fine hauler driver back in the day."

"Thank you. That would be great."

"There's a wide expanse of wildlands from here on. Be careful."

"You be careful, too, Gregory," Fayt said.

"Don't worry about me. I can still keep up with you youngsters." Gregory got on board the wagon and rode the Hauler back to the station. Cyrus and the rest of the gang walked out of the mine and arrived at the Berquerel Mountain Path.

"So where are we now?" Fayt asked.

"This is the Berquerel Mountain Path. A rough terrain passage between the Kirlsa Caverns and Aquaria," Nel said. "It will take us half the day to trek, but once we cross through, we'll be in Aquaria territory."

"Sounds good. Let's get going," Cyrus said. The team traversed through the terrain. They also took the time to grow stronger by defeating the different monsters that got in their way.

In the end, as Nel estimated, they reached their long awaited destination. Their safe house: the Aquarian territory. "We made it. Arias—Aquaria territory," Nel said.

Fayt, Cliff and Cyrus looked at the village. Houses where destroyed and a cemetery was filled with victims from the war. "Some of the houses have been destroyed..." Fayt said.

"Yes, that happened during the Airyglyph attack," Nel informed.

"Wow, they did a lot of damage," Cliff said.

"I feel so sorry for the people lost in the battle," Cyrus said.

"The large mansion in the middle of the town is our base of operations here. We'll check in there first," Nel said. The group followed the red-headed warrior into the mansion. "Here we are. This is the conference room. The commander will be glad to see that you are safe."

"Well, that's cool," Cyrus said.

"Alright. We'll maybe our questions will be answered here," Cliff said.

"Right," Fayt said. "Let's go."

Inside the room, a gray haired young woman was having a meeting with a couple of runologists. "We've already received the redeployment request for the runological weapons," a male runologist said.

"They will arrive in three days," the female runologist said.

"Will that be sufficient, ma'am?" asked the female soldier to the gray haired commander.

"That will be fine. Carry on," she said.

"Yes ma'am."

"Nice work, all. You are relieved," the commander said to the runologists.

"Yes ma'am," they said in unison.

Suddenly, Nel's voice caught the woman's attention. "You're looking well," she said.

"It's you!" the woman said surprised. They walked toward one another. "When did you return?" she asked.

"Just now Clair," Nel answered.

"Welcome home… Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine. I see you still worry too much."

"It's only because you're too reckless. If you don't want me to worry about you, try being a little more careful."

"That's the line of work I'm in. It can't be helped."

"That may be so, still… Are these the ones?"

"That's right. They're engineers from Greeton. They're still reluctant to help us."

"I see..." Clair walks over to Cyrus, Cliff and Fayt. "I'm commander Clair Lasbard of the Aquaria Runological Unit. I'm honored to meet you," she greeted and bowed.

"The name's Cliff Fittir."

"I'm Cyrus Splicer."

"I'm Fayt Leingod. Nice to meet you."

"I must apologize for forcing our problems on you. However…you must understand our situation," Clair said.

"Your little issue, right?" Cyrus asked.

"I think we understand," Cliff said.

"But, I'm not sure–" Fayt was cut off.

"I would like to hear what you have to say," Clair said, "and I will provide a thorough explanation of our situation as well. But, you must be exhausted. Why don't we continue this tomorrow? You need your rest."

"That's right… He may seem fine now, but Fayt is still under the weather."

"I'm fine," Fayt said in a stubborn tone.

"Hey, never pass up a chance to take it easy, kid. It was a real trek crossing those mountains," Cliff said.

"Okay, okay."

"There's a guest room upstairs on the second floor. Please feel free to use it. Nel, stay behind. We have much to discuss," Clair said.

"Right."

The group walked up to the room upstairs while Nel stayed behind catching up on the most recent of events. Inside the guest room, the three were pretty satisfied with its surroundings. "Not bad," Cliff said.

"Yeah, and the view's pretty good, too," Fayt said.

"Not only that," Cyrus said, "but it has a good, relaxing feel to it."

"I'll rest up first," Cliff said. "Take a stroll and come back whenever you feel like it."

"Will do," Fayt said.

"Sounds like a plan to me," Cyrus nodded.

Cyrus and Fayt left the mansion and went their separted ways. Cyrus went through the town and bought some supplies. He also had to make a choice and what to do next. _"Alright, let's see," _Cyrus thought. _"I could stay here and help the guys rescue Nel... or I could just as easily go with her, more time to try and harness my abilities." _Cyrus stood a few minutes. _"Oh, hell, I'll think about this later." _Cyrus left to buy more essential items. Eventually, the sun was going down and a blanket of night shrouded the sky.

In a few minutes, Nel left the conference room and went upstairs. She went to the guest room and stopped at the doorway. She saw Fayt and Cliff sleeping in their beds. She respectfully bowed and left the room, not knowing that Cliff had been watching the whole incident. He went back to sleep, knowing that tomorrow was going to be filled with surprises. Nel walked out of the establishment with a determined look in her eye. "Well, this is it. I know Clair will take over while I'm gone," she said. "Now time to go."

As Nel started to leave, she heard a voice. "Yo, hold up," it said. Nel turned around and was shock to see who arrived. It was Cyrus.

"Cyrus! What are you doing here?" Nel asked.

"That's something I like to ask you, Nel."

"Cyrus please, you must go back."

"Let me come with you."

"What?"

"Listen Nel, I know what you're trying to do."

"What do you mean?"

"I think that whatever's happening, it has something to do with Tynave and Farleen."

Nel was surprised. "Maybe it does. Though why are you concerned?" she asked. "You'll be safer if you stay with Fayt and Cliff."

"Yeah, but if I'm correct, it seems that the odds are against you. I mean I support the army of one and all, but I've also seen what happens and it's not pretty. So I'm coming with you to watch your back."

Nel was silent. "Cyrus, we need you to get to Aquios,"

"Yeah, but we need you take us there. I'm not leaving until you take me with you."

"Cyrus..."

"Think of what might happen to you and to Tynave and Farleen." Nel thought for a second. "When we first met, you said to us that we we're bonded to you. I'm not sure about the others, but I'm going with you. Not just to get stronger, but because I want to help you find them."

Nel knew that even if she said no, Cyrus would still go anyway. "Fine Cyrus, let's go. We don't have any time to wake up Fayt and Cliff. We have to go by ourselves."

"Okay. So where are we going, though?"

"To the Kirlsa Training Facility. That's where Airyglyph is holding Tynave and Farleen to trade for you, Fayt and Cliff."

"I guess there's no time to loose. Let's move." The two rushed from the house and were on their way to their destination by using the western exit.


	9. Chapter 8

Author's Note 1: This is mostly Nel and Cyrus right here. It is also my theory of what happened to Nel during Fayt and Cliff's absence (Cyrus is just the add in, of course).

* * *

Part 8.1: Perilous Pilgrimage

Cyrus and Nel ran through the whole night. They hiked through the Aire/ Kirlsa Hills, traversed through Kirlsa and trekked across the rough terrain of the Grannah Hills just south of town. By daybreak, they made it to a large castle. Nel and Cyrus looked up at the large structure. "So this is the Training Facility?" Cyrus asked. "It's huge!"

"Yes it is," Nel said. "It used to be a training ground for many of the soldiers. But now, it's under the control of the Black Brigade."

"What are they using it for?"

"This is their main base of operations, although it is said that they torture and execute people here as well."

"Seems like we better play it safe."

"That's right." They walked inside the establishment. The walls of this castle were beginning to show the damage caused by time.

"This place looks pretty quiet," Cyrus said.

"A little too quiet," said Nel, scanning the surrounding with her large, green eyes. "Stay on guard."

"Roger." They continued walking.

Meanwhile, a soldier wearing black armor and a helmet with two horns peeked around a corner behind the two warriors. He slowly retracted his head and hurried off to his current commanding officer. He came back and knelt before a massive, armor wearing man sitting on a chair. "What have you found, soldier?" asked the large man.

"I have spotted the Crimson Blade captain, Nel Zelpher; within the premises," the kneeling soldier said.

"Excellent. The plan's working perfectly."

"I've also discovered a young male that is also accompanying her. Our sources believe him to be one of the detainees."

"Really now," the man said. "This is working out better than I expected."

"What other tasks should we carry out, Sir Shelby?" the soldier asked.

"I want you and your men to capture the spy and the juvenile. I want to add them to my set." Sir Shelby chuckled and pushed back in his chair. "See that they do not escape."

"Yes, my lord." The knight moved back, gathered a few men and left the scene.

Nel and Cyrus have had no luck finding Tynave and Farleen. They've reached the second floor of the complex. There were no guards at the moment, only fighting frogs, sword wielding lizards and horned wolves.

"Nel, how do you think they're holding up?" Cyrus asked.

"Don't worry," Nel comforted. "I'm concerned about them too, but I think they're still okay."

"I guess your right. Heh... Maybe we have to go up another floor."

"Good idea." They started to walk to the next flight of stairs until Nel stopped walking.

"What? Something wrong?" Cyrus asked.

"We're not alone." Just then, a group of Black Brigade soldiers appeared in front of the two.

"Halt," the commanding soldier said. "We are the Black Brigade, the military cavalry of Airyglyph. We have been expecting you."

"So this is the Black Brigade," Cyrus said, unimpressed.

"That's right," Nel said.

"Now, come here quietly and no one will get hurt," said the knight.

"Sorry we just can't do that," Nel said.

"So if you fools just step aside...," Cyrus said, sweeping his hands.

"Well, it seems that you two are a bit reluctant to cooperate," the soldier said. "I guess if you won't go by your own free accord, you will go incapacitated. GET 'EM MEN!" The soldiers charged at Nel and Cyrus , swords drawn. The only response that Nel got from Cyrus was a light smirk when he pressed the buttons on the mp3 player to "Minerva" by Deftones. They both jumped up at the unit, drawing out their weapons. Cyrus swung his sword at the incoming soldiers, causing them to fly backward. As soon as he landed, bodies were in mid air and the sword-wielding shizznit was kneeling down, sword extended and hat turned back. Nel had launched herself at a soldier, knocking him back and ricochet at another flunkie. A soldier came up from behind to grab her, but she quickly turned and charged with her dagger. Another came from her side, but Cyrus jump kicked him in the head, sending him falling. The commanding officer saw that his men were taken out quickly. The battle was over and the remaining soldier went running back to Lord Shelby. Nel put returned her dagger in her sheath and Cyrus ran his sword along his side and put it back in his sheath.

Nel walked over to one of the fallen soldiers and knelt down while Cyrus stood over them. "Where's Tynave and Farleen?" Nel asked him after she raised his shoulders.

"If you are talking about... your captured comrades... they're on the roof... in the Aerial Arena," the soldier said. "You better get a move on... Aquarian scums..." The man had fainted and Nel threw the man back to the ground.

"Alright. Let's go, Nel," Cyrus said.

Nel gave a nod. "We should go downstairs," she said. "There's a lift that can transport us to our destination." Nel got up and they hurried back to the lower level.

Meanwhile, the commanding soldier returned to the sitting Lord Shelby. "Where is the other Crimson Blade spy and the escapee? Capture them, you bumbling fools!" he roared as he slammed his mace down.

"We're sorry, My Lord. We had them cornered, but they put up quite a fight…" the knight said.

"I ordered you to apprehend them, not admire them," Sir Shelby said.

Nel and Cyrus returned to the first floor. They continued moving forward and saw one two doors. "Do you know which door is which?" Cyrus asked.

Nel took a quick look at both doors. She turned back to Cyrus and said,"It's the right. The left takes us back the front." Cyrus nodded. They both opened the door, but they found themselves ambushed by waiting knights. As soon as they turned around, they saw a soldier lock up the door.

"Crap, we're trapped!" Cyrus said.

"You won't get away so easily," one of the knights said. "Give yourselves up."

"We won't submit to your blades," Nel said.

"That's right," Cyrus agreed.

"Fine. Be our guests," the soldier said. The soldiers surrounded Nel and Cyrus in the small room, ready to overpower them. In a few seconds, the men ran toward them. Cyrus held out his hands together into a cup. Nel stepped in Cyrus' hands and tossed her up. He then drew out his sword and slashed the knights in front of him. Nel cartwheeled over the marauding crowed and landed on her feet. From behind, she used her Shockwave and many of the cronies collapsed on the ground. Cyrus threw his sword up and started to used his flying palm where he jumped up, legs tucked in; and with his palms extended outward, knocking a soldier out. His sword went spinning down and with great skill, he grabbed the handle, spun around and made a cross slash. As soon as he ended that chain, his sword began to change color from red to blue. Nel was through with her crowd and hurried to assist Cyrus when she saw the sword's strange ability. As Nel and Cyrus were about to finish the remaining one off, Nel was struck from the back along with Cyrus. The blows came from two other soldiers. Now, lowered to the ground, they were at the mercy of three knights.

Suddenly, the locked door had opened and Fayt and Cliff stepped in surprised. The soldiers stood towering over them.

"It's Nel and Cyrus!" Fayt exclaimed.

"This is bad. They've got them cornered!" Cliff said.

"We've gotta help!"

"Let's do it!"

Nel and Cyrus turned around and saw the blue hair and the blonde rearing to go. "Fayt! Cliff! What are you doing here?" Nel asked.

"That can wait until later!" Cliff said.

"We're here to help!" Fayt replied.

"I'm normally not a rushing man," Cyrus said, "but hurry up, guys!" The middle knight raised his sword and was about to slash down. Fayt and Cliff rushed to the soldiers. The knight's sword was about to make contact with Cyrus when out of nowhere, the blade was halted by another. It was Cyrus' sword still flashing from red to blue. Cyrus had no idea that he just stopped the attack and the soldier was still pushing down but to no avail. Cyrus shoved the soldier away and got up. He then jumped of the ground and started kicking rapidly at the foe. Every powerful thrust sent sparks from the armor and the soldier was yelling in agony. With one last attack, he leapt up from the standing man and made a spin kick that made impact with the helmet, knocking the man against the wall. Cyrus crashed onto the floor as soon as Fayt and Cliff finished off their combatants. Nel and the others walked over to Cyrus.

"Cyrus, are you okay?" Fayt asked.

"I'm cool," he replied. "Nel, how are you doing?"

"I'm alright," she said. Nel turned to Fayt and Cliff. "Why did you come? If you'd gone to Aquios you would have been free!"

"We know—Clair told us," Fayt said.

"So, why then?"

"Nel, weren't YOU charged with bringing us to Aquios? How could you neglect your duty?"

"I..."

"Yeah, what he said. Besides, I didn't appreciate the fact you left without saying goodbye," Cliff said.

"Cliff..."

"Plus, we also had to see what happened to Cyrus."

"I was helping out Nel. I knew she couldn't handle this by herself, so I volunteered," Cyrus said.

"We'll give you a piece of our minds later. Let's rescue Tynave and Farleen first," Fayt said.

"That's right. The clock is ticking, and time is of the essence."

"With the four of us, we won't even break a sweat!" Cliff said. The group walked to the elevator and took it to the 4th Floor as soon as Cyrus arose,whose legs werestill wobbling from the last attack.

* * *

Part 8.2: Heavy Metal

"Cyrus," Nel said.

"Yo."

"Your combat abilities, I've never seen anyone fight like that," she said surprised.

"Yeah, well you know..."

"And what's with the glowing sword," Cliff said.

"You know," Cyrus started, "I haven't figured out why that happened."

"Whatever it is, don't get overwhelmed," Fayt said.

"I know: Absolute power corrupts absolutely. I could hardly walk without wobbling and tripping."

The elevator stopped and the group walked out to the new floor. Cyrus' legs had healed and he walked with a little less wobble. In a few minutes, they reached the last room of the castle that lead to the outside training yard. The group made sure to recheck their inventory and charged outside. As soon as they got to the center of the arena, their search had finally ended. "Look!" Nel yelled as she saw two familiar women chained to the wall. "Tynave! Farleen!"

"Man, this is just too obvious," Cliff said suspiciously.

"Tynave, Farleen!" Fayt hollered. "We're here to get you out!"

"Yeah," Cyrus said. "Just hold on."

The girls stirred back to consciousness. " What—What are you doing here?" Tynave asked, still unsure where she was.

"We'll get you out of here!" Fayt said.

"No, run! It's a trap!"

"She's right… They're hiding…behind those pillars!" Farleen said.

"What?' Cyrus said. Suddenly, gruff laughs were being heard from behind. They turned around and saw a group of soldiers emerging from the pillars. "Great, more unwanted company." The surrounding soldiers yelled and began their attack. Cyrus rushed at the men, pulling out his sword, he slashed at the enemies. The men attacked again and, in a few seconds; he learned one of Fayt's attacks: Blazing Sword. With the weapon wrapped in an inferno, Cyrus began slashing at the men. In no time at all, the soldiers had fallen to the ground, smoke coming from the falling bodies. "Ambush my ass," Cyrus said.. The others had finished just as soon as Cyrus had. They then rushed toward Tynave and Farleen. "How do we get them down?" Cyrus asked.

"I'll handle this," Cliff said. He pulled on the shackles until they broke. First Tynave who was caught by Fayt, and then Farleen who fell in Cyrus' arms. They helped them stand, even though they were still pretty worn out. "Are you okay?" Fayt asked.

"Thank you so much," Tynave said.

"I'm okay. The pain's…not too bad," Farleen said.

"You faced incredible danger to rescue us… You should not have come!"

"Thank you so much."

"Don't worry about it," Nel said. "If you're going to thank anyone, thank them."

"Forget about it," Cliff said. "It was nothing."

"Hey, you guys needed saving," Cyrus said, "So here we are."

"Our pleasure—but we'd better get moving!" Fayt said.

"Right. Our work is done here. Good riddance to this hellhole." Cliff then noticed a look in Nel's eyes. There was someone else besides themselves."

"Something's coming," Nel said.

"Yeah. I can feel the hairs standing on the back of my neck," Cliff said.

"Not only do I sense it, the smell of bad BO was what got my attention," Cyrus said.

"So it's you! The three who were in that strange object that fell in Airyglyph!" The voice said. It was Sir Shelby with an entourage of knights.

"Maybe."

"So what if we are," Cliff said.

"Surrender peacefully, and I shall spare your lives," Shelby said.

"Who the heck are you?" Fayt said.

"I am Shelby… Lieutenant of the Black Brigade, soon to be Captain by the looks of things. You should curse your luck for falling into my hands."

"After all that, now we have to fight Shelby?" Nel said.

"Is he dangerous?" Fayt asked.

"Yeah… He's the Black Brigade's second in command. They didn't leave him here for nothing!"

"I can see that," Cliff said. "He looks way too powerful to be some watchdog. Not like the last bunch."

"Luckiness?" Cyrus said."Oh yeah, I could see I won the lottery."

"Of course, we'll only spare the men. The women may die," Shelby said.

"You sick bastard."

"Over my dead body," Fayt said.

"If it comes to that, yes. Now, come quietly…"

"I'll give you quiet!" Cliff scoffed. "And you, kill me? Hah!"

"You will regret those words."

"Not before you do!"

"Tynave, Farleen! You two stand back," Nel said. The two of them nodded.

"Don't worry, he won't get pass us," Cyrus said.

"Here he comes!" Fayt alerted.

Shelby rushed at the gang; mace in one hand and an axe in the other, soldiers not too far behind. The group moved out of the way of the oncoming mob. Shelby was about to attack Nel, along with another knight, until Cyrus thought of an interesting tactic. "Hey Shelby," he called. Shelby halted his attack and turned to Cyrus. "Yo momma's so fat, that when I asked people what the heaviest creature in Airyglyph was, they all replied 'Shelby's mom.' She's the big piece of lard over there, you can't miss her." Shelby looked pissed off when he heard the remark. "What's wrong? You want some? Come get some, chump!"

"You're gonna pay for those remarks, insolent whelp!" Yelled a furious Shelby.

"Bring it on, biyatch!" Cyrus' plan worked and Shelby was on his tail. "You owe me, Nel," he hollered back. Shelby's axe came hurling down at Cyrus and it was stopped by his blade only a few inches away from his face. As soon as Shelby held up his mace, Cyrus slid under him and kicked his back. The lieutenant lost balance and quickly turned back. He then started to swing his axe and mace. Cyrus was able to dodge one of the attacks, but he fell victim to the mace's sweep. Cyrus was thrown back. He sat up and saw Shelby only a few feet from him. Shelby struck downward at Cyrus with both weapons. In an instant, Cyrus rolled out of the way, barely getting hit. Cyrus kicked forward to his feet and quickly started a his symbological attack. Shelby quickly spotted him and charged toward Cyrus. In a few seconds, Cyrus had unleashed Fire Bolt. The flames made direct impact with Shelby and he was taken a little off balance. Cyrus then used one of his most powerful attacks: the Rocksteady. He pushed Shelby and started punching and kicking rapidly. He then swung his legs low to the ground like a break dancer and forced them up in Shelby's face twisting afterwards. Shelby flew backward and Cyrus thrown himself in midair. He landed on his feet on top of Shelby's stomach and bounced off. The lieutenant was out of it. Everyone else finished with their combatants before Cyrus. The battle was over. They all gatherednear the large and unconscious body of Shelby.

"Ha! He wasn't as tough as his talk." Cliff said.

Suddenly, a sharp voice that simply said "Pitiful," cut through the celebration. Cliff looked around. "Over here," it said again. Everyone looked up and saw another swordsman wearing a purple skirt and having two long braids.

"Another one?"

"So this is what Shelby was up to. How pathetic. Always strutting, preening his feathers, but to lose to the likes of you? Huh. Once a maggot himself now, he's food for the maggots," the man said.

"That gauntlet," Nel observed. "You're Albel Nox!"

"So, you've heard of me."

"Who the heck is he?" Fayt asked.

"He's the best swordsman in all of Airyglyph and the Captain of the Black Brigade. Better known as 'Albel the Wicked'…" Albel gave an insulting chuckle toward his audience.

"I'll believe that," Cyrus said. "I mean anyone that carries a katana around and wearing a metal gauntlet has to be bad news."

"Why thank you for your compliment, maggot." Albel said.

"Hey, I'm gonna smack that cocky look off your face!" Cliff said.

"Bah, the maggot talks big," Albel said, leaning down on his perch. "You might have some potential, but you're no match for me."

"What did he just say?"

"I'm not interested in fighting a bunch of tired fools. Easy wins have never been my style. And unlike Vox, I take no joy in trouncing weaklings."

"Who ya callin' a weakling?"

"Go back to your own lands. This is your only warning, fools."

"Come down here and say that." Cliff was about to take a step toward Albel, but Nel stopped him from making a nasty mistake.

"You're gonna let us slip away?" Nel asked surprised. "That's pretty nice for a guy like you."

"Don't get me wrong—I just can't be bothered. And taking hostages isn't the way I do business."

"What do you call this, then," Fayt asked.

"Yeah, a victorious strategy?" Cyrus said.

"Those maggots did this without my consent," Albel said. "I knew nothing about it. Besides, your escape is his blunder. I've no obligation to clean up his mess."

"But he was your subordinate!" Fayt exclaimed. "You have to take responsibility for his actions."

"Yo Fayt," Cyrus said. "Clearly, there is an 'I' in team. And loyalty is not something to talk about around here."

"I tire of your lectures, fool. Now leave, or I will kill you." Before Albel left, he turned his head to Cyrus and said, "Before you go, what is your name, worm."

"_He must be talking to me,"_ he thought. "I'm Cyrus Splicer."

"I must say, worm, your combat skills were somewhat amusing. And no other fool has been able to defeat that peacock until now."

"Gee, thanks. I think."

"But know this, maggot. You and I will fight. You better be ready."

Those words had pierced through his soul. But Cyrus never backed down from a challenge. "You got yourself a duel, Nox." Albel slowly walked away. _"Believe me, Albel," _he thought. _" We'll meet before you know it. I just hope my training is enough."_

The stunned silence was broken by a pretty pissed Cliff. "What? You gotta be kidding me! He acts like he's doing us a favor!"

"Well… I'm relieved to tell you the truth," Nel said. "It would have been foolish to face him in our current condition."

"Let's hurry up and get back, I'm sure everyone's worried about us," Fayt said.

"Yes, let's go."

"Before we head back," Cyrus said, "We should stop at Kirlsa. You know, restock and stuff."

"He's got a point." Cliff said. "Those knights were tough, and Cyrus looks pretty beat up."

"Hey, you don't look like a new Fubu sweater yourself."

"We should all go there to take a rest," Nel said. The group left the arena and went back to the building. Before they left, Cyrus looked back at the top of the wall where Albel was. He was both eager and a bit nervous.

Farleen walked back over to the still Cyrus. "We should get going, Cyrus," she said.

"Err... Right," Cyrus said, snapping back to "reality." "Uh... Let's get outta here." Cyrus and Farleen left the area and rejoined the group. As they left, they didn't notice another presence that was standing on top of the Angel statue.

"Hmm... So this is the boy that breached through the dimensional barrier. Intriguing." The woman was dressed in white clothes that we similar to Cyrus' attire. "He's sorta cute, I'll give him that. And his moves are 'blazin'' as he would put it. I think I'll keep an eye on this boy. Until we meet again."

* * *

Part 8.3: The Reasons for Helping

In at least half a day, the tired group had arrived back at Kirlsa. The town was just as bustling as always, hardly could tell that there was activity going on here. Nel had booked reservations for the party of six. Tynave and Farleen slept in the bunk beds as the rest started to converse. Nel still didn't understand why the people that didn't want any part of the situation still came to when they needed her help the most. "Is something wrong, Nel?" Cyrus asked.

"No. Everything is okay. Again, I thank you for helping me rescue my subordinates."

"Hell, don't worry about it."

"Still... I never thought you guys would end up helping me. You guys were supposed to be indebted to me. Funny how things go sometimes, eh?"

"I suppose," Cliff said. "Of course, I was thinking we should made a run for it. But this guy wouldn't hear of it."

"I see. You may think it strange for me to say this after you helped me, but... I think Cliff is right. Whether you wanted to cooperate or not, there isn't a whole lot you had to gain from helping Aquaria. No... The truth is you have absolutely nothing to gain if you consider the time you'll lose and the danger you'll face. But agree you did... Why?"

"Why?" Fayt said. "Well, you know... You can't expect us to abandon you? Do you really think we could do that, knowing you'd be killed?"

"Listen to me, Fayt. I only saved you three because I thought you could help save the Sacred Kingdom of Aquaria. That is why I risked my life and infiltrated Airyglyph Castle to save you. Putting your lives in danger just to save one person is absolutely pointless. On one hand you have the life of one person, and on the other, the fat of an entire kingdom and all its people. It's a very simple choice. Even a child would know which was more important."

"You cannot place value on human life. Abandoning a life that could be saved is wrong, no matter how you look at it! Life is too precious to reduce it down to your two simple choices."

"Ideally, that would be so... But we are at war! It's just not possible to save everyone who needs saving. My only choice is to do my best to help as many people as possible by ending the war."

"Then let me ask you this Nel: do you plan on teaching that to your children, too?"

"Whoa, Fayt!" Cyrus exclaimed, shocked by the question.

"Will you tell them to abandon somebody they could help in order to save even more people?"

"That's..." Nel was lost for words as silence fell over the room.

"Alright already," Cliff said. "I understand what you're saying. Both of you, that is. Logically speaking you should try to save as many people as possible. I agree with that, but I also agree that each life should be treated equally. The fact is, it all depends on the circumstances at the time and the person who has to make the decision. I guess you could say it is the most difficult choice you could make."

"You don't have to agree with me," Nel said. "There really is no other way."

"Yes," Cyrus said. "Like Cliff pointed out, all lives are important. Even the enemies we fight have their purposes and reasons. It's not right to take somebody out of this world to save millions or sacrifice whole groups for the sake of one. Putting a price tag on people's life is immoral and dishonorable in itself for all sides. When will people learn and think this through?" In a few hours, Tynave and Farleen were fully rested and ready to go. They still had minor injuries, but that didn't prevent them from walking. They reached Arias in a matter of a couple of hours.

Near gate, a female soldier was conversing with two male guards. Suddenly, she saw Nel and the rest of the group. "Lady Nel!" The young soldier yelped in surprise. She and the guards ran over to the party. "You're alright!"

"Yes, I'm fine… I'm sorry to have worried you… Where is Clair?"

"She's at headquarters. She was worried—she'll want to see that you're back." Nel nodded. The group proceeded to the mansion and entered the conference room.

"Nel!" Clair exclaimed in surprise. They embraced.

"Sorry to keep you!" Nel said.

"And you two are safe as well," Clair said as she turned to Cliff, Cyrus and Fayt. "I want to thank both of you…" she bows in appreciation. "I fear they wouldn't have made it back safely to us had you not gone to help."

"Don't mention it," Fayt said.

"It was nothing really," Cyrus said.

"We didn't do much," Cliff humbly commented. "It was mainly small fry."

"Don't sell yourself short," Nel insisted. "And, we were able to defeat the second-in-command of the Black Brigade, thanks to your help."

"You defeated Shelby of the Black Brigade?" Clair said shocked.

"Correct."

"I can't believe it..."

"I'll admit, he did have something going for a bit," Cyrus said, "but in the end, he was all smoke but no fire."

"Yeah, but that show-off in shining armor is still cruisin' for a bruisin'," Cliff said in an aggravated tone.

"Oh, you mean that Albel guy?"

"Just thinking about it makes my blood boil. He won't get away so easily next time I run into him."

"Albel? You can't mean... Albel the Wicked?" Clair was stunned.

"Amazing, isn't it? Frankly, I'm surprised we made it home in one piece," Nel said.

"Is he really that strong?" Fayt asked.

"Indeed. I'm sorry Cliff, but I'm not sure even you could beat him."

"Bah, I've heard enough of this."

"Watch out," Cyrus said. "The young Cliff's gonna have a hizzy." Before Cliff could grab Cyrus, Clair got in between their path.

"All right, enough talk," Clair said. "You must all be very tired. I'll have them prepare dinner—it won't take long." The group calmed down and nodded in unison. After the meal, it was back to business as usually.

"So…you won't help us after all?" Nel said.

"I'm still thinking about it," Fayt replied, still unable to make draw out a conclusion. "The whole prospect of making a weapon doesn't sit well with me."

"I see…" Clair said. "Well, you don't have to answer immediately. If you can decide by the time we reach the royal city, that will be soon enough."

"Clair," Nel said, "I think I'll ride with them all the way to Aquios after all. Is that okay with you, Fayt?"

Fayt thought briefly. "Of course it's okay. Isn't that your mission?"

"That it is." In a few minutes, the group leaves the mansion and begin to disembark on their journey. "First, we'll head to a town called Peterny, in the northeast. After we've obtained supplies there, we'll head to Aquios."

"Okay, understood," Fayt said.

"Gotcha," Cliff said.

"Let's get started," Cyrus said.

"I'll be back..." Nel says to Clair.

"All right… See you soon. Everyone, please be careful."

"You guys, too," Fayt said.

"We'll be just fine!" Farleen said.

"Yes. Take care of Nel for us, please," Clair said.

"Don't worry, Clair," Cyrus said.

"May Apris guide your path!" Tynave said.

At the same time, Farleen replied with, "May the grace of Apris be with you!" The group left the village and headed on to Peterny.


	10. Chapter 9

Author's Note 1: Sorry for the late update. As you probably figured, there has been something wrong with the connection to the server when I tried to Log In. This chapter was supposed to be added to the story 3 days ago. But enough about that. Anyways, there's nothing much going on in this chapter, but there still are some funny parts. So without further to do, I give you Chapter 9.

* * *

Part 9.1: Inventing Credentials

After hiking through the Palmira Plains, the group made it to the Trading Town of Peterny. Unlike Arias, this place was still in one piece. Filled with joy and fun, it was hard to believe that there was a war going on outside the city's walls. "So this is Peterny," Cliff said.

"This town has a totally different feel to it from Arias," Fayt said.

"It's as if no one's aware of the current threat," Cyrus said.

"Yes, that's because this town is closer to the sacred royal city of Aquios. Plus it borders on the Republic of Sanmite, and is therefore a center of commerce," Nel explained.

"That would explain a lot."

"Makes sense. No wonder it's so lively," Cliff said.

"I have to attend to some business," Nel said. "You can do what you will until I get back. We'll meet… We'll meet in the central plaza. Go to the plaza when you're ready."

"Okay."

"Got it."

"Crystal." The group spread out through the bustling town. Cyrus went to the west part, the shopping area; to buy new equipment for the group, including an all-new Bastard Sword, Cyrus' favorite weapon right next to the Bazooka. Across the street, Cyrus saw a small shop. He knew that it was the Craftman's Guild.

"Hmm... I wonder," he pondered. He walked across the road and went inside the store. As soon as he entered, he found the place was nearly empty. He walked up the stairs and saw a young girl laid on the desk. Cyrus inched up to her real carefully. He was only inches away when he saw her stirring. She raised her head and yawned. The girl looked like she was 19 or in her early 20's, her hair in two pony tails. She wore a strange attire that Cyrus never seen in his world; sorta like a mix between a dress and a jacket. She also held a stick with a glove on the end of it. "Hey," Cyrus said, hoping to start a conversation with the woman. "Let me guess, a slapstick?"

"Hmm... Oh this? Thanks. You're one of the first people toknow what this thing is!" the woman said. The woman got up from her desk and walked over to Cyrus.

"Really? I mean it's so obvious! Oh, by the way, I'm Cyrus Splicer."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Welch Vineyard. So, are you here to invent?"

"Invent?" Cyrus scratched his head in confusion.

"That's right. This is the Craftman's Guild of Peterny. Here, I work as a liaison for all inventors, the Guild Master's secretary, and this Guild's receptionist."

"That's pretty cool, even if it is a little hard!"

"That's true, and the salary isn't that great ,ether. You know at one time, there were many people that signed as inventors by the thousands, but now, you can see that business in this field isn't particularly booming. This sorta gives me lots of time on my hands. "

"How times change, eh." Cyrus turned his attention on something behind the table. There was a tail wagging like crazy. Cyrus signaled a hush sign to Welch. He moved closer and closer to the unknown form until... he snagged the tail with his left hand and put his right hand on the grip (the handle) of his sword. He raised the creature up and saw that the tail was connected to what appeared to be a child.

"Hey, what's wrong with you!" the squirming humanoid yelled. "Let me go!" Cyrus, confused and tired of hearing the yelling and nearly getting hit by flailing limbs, put the boy down.

"Not you again," Welch yelled, changing her voice from sweet and melodious, to nasty and terrifying.

"Hey ya, wench," the young boy said, "still as ugly as always."

"You little brat, I'll throw you out like I did before, except a few yards farther."

"Come and try." The two started running around the room, the young boy being chased by Welch. She caught up to him and grabbed his tail. The kid kept running and realized that he wasn't going anywhere. He slowly looked back and saw a pissed off looking Welch, holding him back. The kid knew that he was in trouble. Welch pulled him back, held him by the waist, walked to the doorway and literally kicked him out the door.

"And stay out you little runt!" She slammed the door and saw Cyrus staring in fear.

"_Good god!" _he thought. _"Don't wanna catch her on a bad day!"_

Welch quickly regained her composure and walked back toward Cyrus. "Well Cyrus, are you ready to register?" she asked in her soft tone.

"W-well... yeah, okay miss," he replied, still pretty nervous.

"I'll be right back. I'm going to get the Guild Master." She left the room and went to upstairs.

"_And to think that I thought she was a nice woman," _he thought. Cyrus went to a chair and sat waiting for Welch to return. In a few minutes, she came back with a short old man.

"So, you're the one that wants to be an inventor," he said.

"Pretty much, sir," Cyrus said, getting off his chair.

"That's wonderful news! This corporation is powered by the government. We hand out patent to anyone that wishes to be an inventor; all in the name of the advancement of this civilization."

"We're top ranked amongst the industry. Well, partially because our competitorshave gone bankrupt," Welch said.

"We allow our clients to have a sense of vision. Speaking of which, Welch, please give that to him." Welch walked over to Cyrus and handed him a small device that had a screen.

"Cool, a compact communicator!"Cyrus said. "It even has its own monitor!"

"Exactly," said the Guild Master. "With that device, you can contact us anytime, anywhere."

"You can find out what new products hit store shelves and also search patent registration reports. You can even file patents on inventions with that as well," Welch added.

"Very nice..." Cyrus casually said.

"You can also work on inventions in any workshop at any area," the Guild Master said. "You can also add more areas of expertise to the shop if you want to, but that's coming out of your own pocket."

"Hmm... I see."

"You know, there's a workshop here in Peterny that's right across the street," Welch said. "Unfortunately, that place is a mess. You might want to expand it's facilities." Welch looked down at the Guild Master. The old man saw her jerking her head toward Cyrus. The Guild Master looked back at Cyrus and took a bag out of his pocket.

"Alright. Since you're new to the business, here's some seed money to start you off."

"Thank you, sir," Cyrus said.

"You can only invent inside a workshop," Welch said. "Again, if you want to use the one here in Peterny, you need to add some more fields of expertise. With different kinds of areas, you can make all kinds of things."

"And remember," the Guild Master said, "after you invent an item, use that communicator and report it to us."

"Okay," Cyrus said. "Work in it, expand it, create it, call itand patent it. Got it covered."

"If you work hard, you might be a world renowned before you know it. Known far and wide."

"Hey, with style like mine and brains like this, I can do this thingeasily."

"Now that's what I like to hear!" Welch said. "Alright, I'll take you to the workshop. Follow me, please."

"Roger, roger."Cyrus and Welch walked to the small workshop across the path. Inside, Cyrus saw papers thrown all over the place. The place was a total pigsty. "So this is what it looks like."

"Well Cyrus, if you want to invent something, all you have to do is start filling out the documents on the front desk here. So, do you have any questions?"

"Nah, I'm cool."

"Excellent. And just as a reminder, use that seed money to expand the facilities, otherwise you won't be able to create anything."

"Alright. Thank you." Welch left the workshop and went back to the inventor's guild. Cyrus stood near the desk to look at the papers. _"Alright, I could add a blacksmith department to this place," _he thought, _"or start a synthesizing facility. I guess I could think about it later. For now, I'm gonna go to the Central Plaza."_ Cyrus left the building and headed back to the center of town.

* * *

Part 9.2: Inner Thoughts

As he was making his way to the church, Cyrus spotted Fayt talking to a young girl. _"What? Sophia? Oh wait. I forgot, that's Ameena. Man, she almost looks just like her. If she was healthier, she'd be an exact twin! Well, more or less."_ Cyrus walked over to the two and pulled up a chair, making sure he didn't break the conversation. Cliff and Nel were also watching Fayt and Ameena.

"A good luck charm?" Fayt asked as Ameena held up a flower.

"Yes, it's been a local tradition for generations," Ameena replied. "It's called the 'Maiden of Irisa.' It's a flower that represents Irisa, the goddess of the moon and the wind. They say that if you carry this flower, Irisa will use her powers to keep you safe during your journeys."

"Wow… That's amazing."

"I carried it with me when I came back home from Airyglyph."

"I can't take something so precious from you!"

"Don't worry. I don't need it anymore." Ameena gave Fayt the Maiden of Irisa.

"Thank you, Ameena. I'll take very good care of it."

"Please do."

Fayt and Ameena started to giggle, until Cliff broke up the little meeting. "Hey, whatcha up to?" he asked.

"Oh, it's you guys!" Fayt said in a shocked tone. He knew he wasn't in a good spot right now.

"Well," Cyrus said, "it looks like the young Fayt's having some fun!"

"Wha– No I'm not!"

"Hitting on the ladies?" Cliff asked.

"N-no! Ah, umm… She just looked like someone I know. And, well…"

"Come on, you can come up with a smoother line than that! I'll teach you a few for next time."

"I told you I'm not hitting on her!" Fayt snapped.

"Hey, hey, simmer down! Can't you take a joke? Look, if you don't wanna get teased a little, then don't play lovey-dovey while you wait around for us, got it?"

"Who's playing lovey-dovey?"

"Alright children, settle down," Cyrus said.

"Anyways..." Nel started.

"What?" Fayt said, still a little ticked.

"Aren't you going to introduce her?"

"Oh, yes. This is Ameena. She sells flowers in this town."

"Hi, I-I'm Ameena," she said, stuttering.

"Ameena, these three are the people I'm traveling with: Cyrus, Cliff, and Nel."

"Ameena, what a nice name. Nice to meet you. I'm Cliff Fittir. Guess you could say I'm this kid's bodyguard."

"Yo, I'm Cyrus Splicer."

"Nel Zelpher."

"Nice to meet you," Ameena said.

Nel then noticed the flower that Fayt held in his hand. "That's a rare flower you're holding. Where did you get that?" she asked.

"Oh, this? Ameena gave it to me," Fayt said.

"Huh? A rare flower?" Cliff asked.

"It's the Maiden of Irisa. The current war has pretty much devastated the lands where it grows, so it's hard flower to find these days," Nel explained. "In the stories of Apris, it represents the goddess Irisa. These days it's used as a good luck charm for travellers. It's much the same as Palmira's Wishing Charm, or Wreath of Erinia, which we use to pray for victory in battle."

"That's pretty cool," Cyrus said.

"You sure you want to give him something so valuable?" Cliff asked Ameena.

"Yes, I don't need it anymore," Ameena said. Then, she noticed that it was time for her to make her leave. "I'm sorry, but I need to get back to work…"

"Oh..." Fayt said.

"Please excuse me. It was fun talking to you. Have a safe journey to Aquios."

"Thanks, Ameena, these are tough times… Take care of yourself!"

"Thank you."

"I'm sure you'll meet your friend again. I believe it."

"May the grace of Apris be with you! Goodbye, then…" Ameena left and returned to selling flowers. In the distance the group still heard her continuous coughs.

"_Oh man," _Cyrus thought, _"I sorta feel bad for her. And I rarely feel remorse for anyone, especially a game character. Go figure."_

"Hey, is she sick or something?" Cliff asked. "She sure was coughing a lot."

"Uh, yeah," Fayt said. "She said she had a cold."

"Right..."

"All right you two, let's not talk out here," Nel said. "Let's get to the inn."

"Good idea."

"Peterny has two inns, but there're some issues with the one on the east side, so we'll use the one on the west."

"Issues?" Cyrus said.

"It's a cheap inn that's also a tavern. Put bluntly, it's got a lot of questionable patrons. This may be Aquaria, but we want to avoid any unnecessary trouble."

"All right. Let's use the one on the west side," Fayt said. The group proceeds to the inn.

When they entered, Cyrus leaned up against the front desk to ask the receptionist for rooms. "Hi, how you doin'. Say, my friends and I need to borrow a few rooms. Is that okay with you guys?"

"This inn is reservations-only," the female clerk said. "If you would like to stay here, the earliest available room won't be for another six months." Then, she noticed a certain Aquarian captain that was accompanying them. "Oh… It's Lady Nel! W-will you be staying with us?"

"Yes. Will that be a problem, miss?" Nel said.

"No, there's no problem at all. We'll prepare rooms for you at once." The woman quickly left her post to report to another employee to retrieve their rooms. Later on, the receptionist returned to her desk and reported to the group. "There are two rooms that will be ready in a few hours. Have a pleasant stay."

Nel nodded and returned the group. "Okay, we're checked in. Our rooms are open. I'm going to visit a subordinate who is stationed in this town. Feel free to walk around, but whatever you do, stay out of trouble!"

"All right…don't worry so much," Cliff reassured. "I don't know about them, but do you really think I'd cause trouble?"

"Hey... Hey, why are you worried about me?" Fayt said.

"Let's not start on who causes probs," Cyrus said.

"I'm just saying what I think," Nel nonchalantly said. "This town is lively with commerce— and that has attracted more than its share of shady characters. Guys like you are easy to pick fights with."

"If that happens, then I'll just give as good as I get," Cliff said. "No worries."

"That's what I'm worried about."

"Ah, right."

Nel let out a small sigh. "Okay, I'm off. I'll be back by nightfall." After that comment, she left the inn to get to business.

"I think I'll hang out at the local tavern," Cliff said. "You go amuse yourself."

"I think I will," Fayt said.

"Yeah, later guys," Cyrus said. The group left the building. Cyrus returned to the Palmira Fields and started his training. _"Man," _he thought as he slashed at a horned tortoise, _"I can't believe the power I have." _Suddenly, sword wielding lizard ran from behind and tried to slash, but Cyrus moved out of the way. _"It seems my skills are improving."_ Then he slashed at the reptilian opponent and it disappeared. _"Not only am I able to use the elements of shadows and flames, but I'm also able to copy abilities." _He ignited a flame in his palm and placed it to the Bastard Sword he used. He started the attack, Blazing Sword. _"But now, after I defeated Sir Shelby," _Cyrus started charging at a Tarantula, _"ye ol' sociopath, Albel Nox, now wants to face me."_ He sliced down at the spider and it ripped into a half. He then turned his attention on a scorpion ready to use Electro Stinger, but Cyrus blocked the electric stream. He cut the stinger off, jumped and stabbed down at the opponent. The arachnid squirmed for a few seconds, then its functions ceased. _"I'll be ready for him. I don't care how strong he is, he won't get the best of me." _After a few hours of fighting, Cyrus left the field and headed back to Peterny. _"Hmm... It's getting late. Better check if the rooms are ready." _With that thought, Cyrus casually walked to the inn, both tails of his long coat rustling in the breeze.

Cyrus entered the inn and walked to the end of the hall where Nel stood. "Have you finished exploring?" Nel asked.

"Yeah," Cyrus said. "I'm pretty bushed after all the training I've had. I figured enough is enough, I'll just call it a day."

"I see. Well then, you should rest up. I know you must be tired, but we'll be heading out to Aquios tomorrow morning as planned."

"Understood. So, where do I sleep."

"We checked out two rooms earlier, since those were the only ones available. Cliff volunteered to share a room with Fayt."

"Alright, so that meanswe'llbe sharingone. I'm down." Later on in the room, the two slept in two separate beds. Cyrus had his earplugs in his ears as he always did. He recharged his batteries with the portable recharger he kept in his pocket, be he couldn't get to sleep. For some time, Cyrus has just been looking at the ceiling, thinking._ "Oh man, I wonder what's happening back at home?" _he thought.

"Can't get any sleep?" a voice said. Cyrus turned to his left side. It was Nel who was sitting on her bed.

"Nope. It seems that I've had a lot on my mind, lately."

"Really?"

Cyrus nodded. "Ever sense I came here, I was wondering what's been happening back in my own... home."

"You miss Greeton, don't you?"

"Greeton... Yeah, you could say that."

"I'm sorry to say it, Cyrus, but we can't reminisce about old times. We must move on and face the event that are happening now."

"Yeah, about the war. Don't worry, I'll leaveout participationto Fayt."

The room was quiet again, then Nel thought it was time to change the subject. "I always wondered..."

"Yeah..."

"That item that you always have in your ears. What is it?"

"You mean this?" Cyrus held up his MP3 Player. "It's a MP3 Player." Nel looked at him in a whimsical state. "It's what you use to listen to music."

"You mean there are musicians in there?"

"No, not quite. You see, every song is called a track. The device can sort the songsby author, album or you can make your own playlist."

"Uh... Playlist?"

"Oh, that's a group of songs that you like to listen to. See, you press the buttons that look like arrows to go up and down the list. Then you pick the songs you like to hear by pressing the one with the word 'Program.' Still follow?" Nel nodded. "Alright now that you're done, all you have to do is press the button with the arrow pointing right."

"Interesting contraption," Nel said intrigued.

"I'll tell you what, I'll let you listen for tonight."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. Since you're a beginner, I'll hook you up with some orchestrated ambience."

"Alright." Cyrus started to scroll down the list for some songs. The new playlist consisted of songs from games such as the "Jurassic Park" genre, "Panzer Dragoon Orta," and of course, "Star Ocean: Till the End of Time." "Here," Cyrus said as he handed the MP3 Player to Nel. "Now, the small bar on the side controls how loud you want the music to be."

"Thank you."

"Oh, don't thank me. All I did was quench your thirst for knowledge." Cyrus thought about what he just said and realized how corny that sounded. "Well, good night."

"Good night." As Cyrus turned over and, Nel inserted the plugs into her ears, closed her eyes and went to sleep.


	11. Chapter 10

* * *

Author's Note 1: I do not own any songs or any albums that have been used before or later in the story. I used those as for the reader to know what Cyrus is listening to on his MP3 Player (as well as the fact that the MP3 that have been used and will later be mentioned are my favorites.)

* * *

Part 10.1: The Thugs and a Runt

The next morning, Nel woke up from her sleep. As she sat up, she remembered the item Cyrus let her borrow. She opened her hand which the MP3 Player was revealed. She then looked back at Cyrus who's back was turned, still sleeping. _"Thank you again,"_ she thought. She got out of bed and walked over to the sleeping shizznit.

Nel started to shake Cyrus gently, and he started to rustle a bit. "Oh ma, I just want some more cotton candy," Cyrus moaned. Nel shook him again, but still nothing.

"_It seems I have no choice." _Now it was time for some tough love. She shook Cyrus with vicious force.

In a few seconds, Cyrus halted his shallow snoring and woke up, arms flailing and eyes rapidly blinking. He took heavy breaths from the violent ordeal. He then sat up in the bed and looked at Nel with a groggy look. "Shizznit!" Cyrus yelped. "What was that for!"

"Oh, you're up?" Nel asked in a partially snide, yet smooth manner. "Hope you didn't mind the wake up call."

"I minded. Like I said when we first met, you got some sense of humor, there."

"By the way, here's you're, what did you call it... MP3 Player."

"Hey, thanks." He reached for the item and tucked it in his pocket. "So how was it?"

"Well, I must say. I'm pretty intrigued by this piece of equipment. Now I know the reason why you don't see anything like it here."

"Hmm... Well, thanks. Anyway, I'm up. So what's next?"

"We should check if Fayt and Cliff are up as well."

"Let's get crackin'." Cyrus got out of his bed. The two walked out the room and stopped at Fayt and Cliff's door. "Hey, you guys up in there?"

"Come on in," Cliff invited on the other side of the door.

They entered the room and saw them already standing. "Well, did you get a good night's sleep?" Nel asked.

"Yeah, not bad," Cliff replied. "This place is just about right for a man of noble birth like me."

"A noble birth..." Cyrus commented.

"As you people say, very funny…" Nel said. "But at any rate… We must leave for Aquios at once." Fayt, Cyrus and Nel exited the room. Cliff was left speechless.

"Hey, wait! You act like you don't believe me!" he hollered as he raced to catch up to the trio. They left the inn, ready to embark on their journey to Aquios, but their plans had to wait.

"It's you!" screamed an elderly voice. An old woman ran over toward the group. Out of breath, the woman was gasping uncontrollably. Quickly, she caught her second wind and began to speak. "What a relief, I thought you'd gone!" she exclaimed.

"You're Ameena's neighbor—" Fayt said. "What's wrong?"

"Please, you've got to help me! It's Ameena!" the middle aged woman said.

"Ameena? Did something happen to her?"

"Ameena was on the Mountain of the gods when she suddenly had an attack—she can't move! I-I'm too weak to carry her so I came back to get help!"

"An attack?" Cliff yelped. "Then there was something wrong with that girl after all!"

"I'm afraid so," the neighbor said. "Ameena has always been a frail girl… Oh, I should never have taken her up that mountain!"

"Ma'am, where did Ameena collapse?" Fayt asked.

"In the mountains on the way to Sanmite. It's the forest to the west of the animal trail that runs alongside a pointy rock… Can you help her?"

"Past a pointy rock…" Nel pondered. "That'd be Duggus Forest. It's the forest that lies to the west of this town."

"To the west, got it!" Fayt was about to go off on his own, but he was stopped by Cliff's voice of reason.

"Hey, hey, hang on a second!" he said.

"Look, Cliff, Nel and Cyrus, you wait in Peterny. I'll go rescue Ameena myself!"

"Bah. You really think we'd let you go by yourself?"

"Tsk. You by yourself in a forest?" Cyrus said.

"Not a chance," Nel said. "Not only that, Duggus Forest is full of bandits. I think it'd be safer if we all went together."

"Bandits?" Fayt said.

"The Moonshadow Clan," Cyrus said. "The stories about that crew are infamous all over this town. They're the most audacious gang of tricks around here."

"That ain't good," Cliff said. "Come on, let's hurry and get over to that Dugga-whatchamacallit Forest, pronto!"

"Let's go!" Fayt replied. The four ran to the western exit.

"Good luck to you!" the middle aged woman hollered. Outside the village of Peterny, a vast expanse of grassland covered the area. This was the Samnite Steppes, a broad expanse of wilderness that connected Peterny with The Lost City of Surferio. Cutting through the landscape, a small river flowed. Their destination was (if on a compass) to the south. That meant they had to walk down the plateau to their left and cut through the stream. They stopped near a large grove of trees which marked the jungle.

"Well, this is it," Nel said. "Duggus Forest. This is the home base of the Moonshadow Clan. We should be careful, not just of the bandits and monsters. There are many passages and dead ends in this area as well as countless rock slides. We'll have to pick our paths wisely." They proceeded into the forest.

"Hey!" Cyrus said as he remembered something crucial.

"What's wrong?" Fayt asked.

"I almost forgot." Cyrus began digging in his backpack again. What he pulled out was a large folded piece of paper.

"What's that?" Cliff asked.

"I have a feeling you know, bud." Cyrus opened the large sheet. It was as everyone thought.

"Oh no," Cliff said, disgruntled. "Not another map."

"Oh yes. I got it from some woman back in Peterny." In reality, this map came from the same source that the last map came from; the computer. Unfortunately, Cyrus knew that if he said where he really got it from, there would be some consequences that could change the flow of events. Again, he couldn't say anything until the time was right. "This will make our search easier."

"Okay," Fayt said. "Now, let's hurry."

The group followed behind Cyrus for an hour. At first, Cyrus was reading the map just fine, until he was starting to have a little trouble. "Okay, if we go this way... No, that's not right. Maybe if we take a right turn... Hey, there's no tree on this map!"

"Oh no," Cliff said.

"Don't tell me you've got us lost!" Nel said.

"Wha-? Me?" Cyrus said in a problematic tone. Cyrus started to a nervous snicker. "That's funny." He knew that he needed help. Luckily, he saw where the saw the solution on the map. It was to the left fork. "It's left? Yeah, left. Now let's go." Cyrus began to rushing through the turn.

"Hey, wait up!" Fayt yelled as the others ran to catch up.

In a few minutes, on the path they took, they heard a tired moan. Cyrus stopped. "Oh, now you stop?" Cliff asked sarcastically.

"Hey, listen." The moan was heard again.

"It sounds like someone needs help," Fayt said. "Don't worry!" he yelled. "We'll be right there!" The group followed the trail until they were lead into the a small clearing. There, they saw a small girl sitting on the ground... with a twist. She appeared to be 15 inches tall and had two pairs of wings similar to an insect.

"No way!" Cyrus exclaimed. The group gathered around the seemingly weakened creature.

"I'm…not long for this world," the creature said in her shrill voice.

"A fairy?" Fayt said in amazement.

"They're rare," Nel said. "This is the first time I've seen one, too."

The diminutive creature looked up at this strange assembly of giants. Then she looked back down. "... They'll surely eat me alive!" she said to herself.

"Hey! Don't look at me! I don't eat bugs!" Cliff said.

The fairy then became aggravated after that insult and flew in Cliff's face. "How rude! I'm not a bug!" Suddenly, the small creature began to tire and slowly landed to the ground.

"Are you okay?" Fayt asks.

"If I could only feel the mountain mists on my face and drink pure water from her springs, I'd feel much better…"

"Okay. We'll go get you some spring water." Fayt then turns to Cyrus. "Cyrus, where's the closest spring?"

"It's on the last fork we were at. That's a good ten- fifteen minutes at the most."

"Alright then," Nel said. "Lead the way."

Cyrus walked to the path and they took a left. They kept moving on the path until they saw a large pool of water. "Well, this is it: mountain spring water."

"Are you sure?" Cliff asked.

"Yep. It's clearer, fresher and it doesn't boil."

"Yeah... sure."

Cyrus shook his head, tired of having to argue with Cliff. _"I swear," _Cyrus thought, _"he must be oblivious to the obvious."_ "Well, let's get us some H2O and get outta here." The group nodded and Fayt scooped the water in a small bottle. They trekked back to the tired fairy who was laying down on the ground. She heard their footsteps and stood up.

"Here, spring water," Fayt said as he handed the bottle to the fairy.

At that moment, the fairy began to chugging down the drink. In a few minutes, she was back to full strength and hovering. "Phew… That's better," she replied. "Thank you! Tell you what, I'll let you in on a secret! Did you know that in this forest, there are trees that have turned into monsters? They block the forest paths, they do!"

"I see…" Fayt said. "So what should we do?"

"Burn 'em down?" Cliff said.

"No, stupid!" the fairy shouted. "I'll be your guide! Those old trees can't fool my eyes! But it'll be up to you to deal with them."

"That's cool!" Cyrus said.

"C'mon! This way!" The fairy started leading the group through the forest. Throughout their travels, the group had to defeat the tree-like Grapebinds, evade monster-made rock slides, and defeat a few of the clan members. In a few hours, the fairy led them to a small house in the middle of the forest.

"Could this be the bandits' hideout?" Fayt asked himself.

"Perhaps," Cyrus said. "Maybe they have Ameena in there…"

"Won't know until we take a look," Cliff said.

"Yeah," Nel said in agreement. "Wanna check it out?"

"Okay," Fayt replied.

"I'll go scout out the area. You guys take care of this." Nel parted from the group and stood at the entrance.

"I wonder where the fairy went off to?" Fayt wondered.

"Must've high-tailed it," Cliff said. "If you were near a bandit's base, would you stay, especially if you were an oversized bug?"

"Good point," Cyrus said. The three went inside the hideout.

In there, a small boy was locked up in the cage. He was about twelve years old and wore a pointy helmet that had a cracked lens and what appeared to be tape on one side. "Who's there?" asked the kid. The three saw the little kid locked up and rubbing his eyes. "…Who're you guys?" he asked before he hiccuped.

"That's not... Ameena," Fayt said.

"Who the heck is this little guy?" Cliff asked.

"Don't know," Cyrus simply replied.

"Some little boy the bandits captured, I guess," Fayt said. "Don't worry. We're not here to hurt you," he assured the boy.

"Then ya gotta help me!" The boy squealed. "Let me outta here!"

"What happened? How'd you end up in there?"

"I didn't do anything wrong…" The boy started crying out loudly.

"Okay… Is there no one else but you here?"

"Nope..." the sniveling boy said then hiccuped.

"So you haven't seen a girl around here? Her name's Ameena…"

There was a brief, quiet pause. _"Three..., two..., one...," _Cyrus counted down.

Then suddenly, the boy broke down. "Gah! Gimme a break!" the boy yelled. "Forget about that, ya moron! Just get me outta here, now!"

Fayt was surprised boy the kid's outburst. The young boy knew that he blown his cover. "Well, well, the cat's outta the bag," Cliff said in an amused voice. "He's really a little brat."

"Oh man," Cyrus said. "And his act was sooo convincing, too."

"I blew it..." The boy said under his breath.

"You can say that again…" Fayt replied.

"I'll be good, I'll be good!" whined the caged kid, as he sat back down. "Oh, get me outta here, guys! Come on!" he begged.

"Who are you anyway?"

"Me? I'm Roger. Sir Roger to you. I'm a captain! I'm very important, ya know," he said with his arms folded.

"That's more information than we need, thank you," Cliff said.

"Shuddap, ya big lummox!" Roger snapped. "If someone's askin' for help, shouldn't ya just lend a hand? Yeah, you should care about others. Least, that's what my Papa always said. And he was always right!"

"Yeah," Cyrus said. "But your dad's not here, for one. And second, you don't really deserve our assistance, 'captain,'" he said and taunted him with a salute.

"Come on, have you no hearts, ya big bullies!"

"Unbelievable..." Fayt said.

"I heard that," Cyrus said in agreement.

"What's going on in here? Did something happen?" a voice asked. They turned around and saw Nel at the doorway.

"Huh? Where'd that lovely voice come from?" Roger said.

Nel came closer to the cage where the voice was coming from. "Someone in there?" she asked.

"Oh wow, a beautiful lady! Oh, please let poor ol' me outta this cage!"

Nel was not amused by the Roger's flirts and cries for freedom. "…Who's the little kid? Is he with the bandits?"

"No, ya got it all wrong, miss! Actually, I'm…"

"Annoying, insane and incompetent," Cyrus said.

"What was that?" Roger yelled.

There was a brief pause in the room. Fayt then decided enough was enough. "Looks like Ameena's not here. Let's go," he suggested.

"Huh, sounds good to me," Cliff agreed. "I'm sick of this brat anyhow."

"You can say that again," Nel replied.

"Yeah," Fayt said.

"We've got more important stuff to do," Cyrus said.

"That's just plain cold!" Roger yelled. "I'm askin' for help!"

Suddenly, the door behind them opened. "What the--? Who are you?" asked a surprised voice. The group looked behind them and at the door, two Moonshadow Clan members stood, ready to attack.

"Hey look, the morons are back!" Roger said. "My boys are gonna tear ya to pieces! Better say yer prayers!"

"What did you just say?" asked one of the bandits.

"Hey," Cliff started, "when he said 'my boys,' did he mean…"

"Yeah, I think he meant us…" Fayt said.

"I'm afraid so," Nel replied.

"Shizznit," Cyrus said in disappointment. Without further to do, everyone drooped their heads and sighed.

"Yer dead meat!" the bandit yelled.

"Too late to grovel now!" Roger hollered. "There'll be no mercy this time. Get 'em, boys!"

"Heh, kids," Cyrus said, "what can you do?"

"Shall we?" Nel asked.

"Let's mess 'em up!" The group of four started fighting with the two adversaries. In a few minutes, the two clan members were thrown out of the hideout. They picked themselves up and pulled out their daggers.

"Hey, how 'bout we make it fair?" one of the members asked. "Even the odds, ya know?"

"Sure..." Cyrus said in a diabolical tone with a smile to match. "Better yet, let's make this interesting. A partner and I'll take you both on without a weapon." Cyrus slid his sword back in the sheath. Then he turned to Cliff. "So Cliff, you want a piece?"

"I'm all set," he said with an eager tone as he punched his fist in his other hand.

"Then let's lay the funk down." Cyrus put in his ear pieces and set the MP3 Player to "Bombs Over Baghdad" by Outkast. Then he turned his hat backward. In no time, both he and Cliff charged at the bandits. Cyrus used a sharp kick with the knee that connected to the target's stomach. The bandit backed up, holding his stomach. He then stood straight and prepared for his a symbological attack. In the nick of time, Cyrus broke from his pursuit and dodged the attack by leaping to the side. It turned out to be Lightning Blast. Cyrus jumped to the air and landed on the bandit. Then he pushed him down, still holding the man, rolled onto his back and launched him forward. "Now that's what I call a Roundhouse," he said. The bandit slowly got up and had a nasty scowl. In moments he started screaming and blindly thrust his dagger at Cyrus, but none of the strikes made contact. When the bandit stopped and opened his eyes, he didn't see Cyrus anywhere. He kept looking side to side. It wasn't until he slowly turned around that he got a spin kick in the face from his enemy. Cyrus foot landed right on the bandit's jaw, which made him fly to the left, spinning in the air at the same time. The bandit saw the dark-clothed kid towering over him and without any strength, fell unconscious. "That was quick," Cyrus said to himself. Then, he noticed something shiny that poked out of the bandit's pocket. He took it out and saw a small key that might free Roger. Cliff had already finished with his guy as soon as Cyrus picked up the item.

"Well, that wasn't hard," Cliff said. "So what's that?"

Fayt and Nel walked over to Cliff and Cyrus. "I have a pretty good idea," Cyrus said. "It must be the key to Roger's cage."

"Do we have to let him out?" Cliff asked in an agonized tone.

"I guess," Nel said.

"Besides, maybe he might know where Ameena is," Fayt said. "Plus, it wouldn't be right to leave him in there like that."

"Honorable, aren't you?" Cyrus said in a low tone. Fayt held out his hand. "Alright, you're the boss." Without further to do, Cyrus dropped the key into Fayt's hand.

The group went back inside to hideout and opened Roger's cage. "You saved the day! Thanks!" Roger said.

As soon as Roger left the cage, Cliff saw something that made him go into shock. "What the heck?" Cliff blurted. "He's got a tail!"

"What?" Roger said. "What's the big deal? My tail's the softest around, I'll have you know!" he explained in a nasty tone.

"You're a Menodix, from the Sanmite Republic, right?" Nel asked.

"Yes, that's right, Miss!" he replied in a friendly tone.

"The Samnite Republic?" Fayt asked.

"It's a country of humanoids located northwest of Aquaria. I'm sure you noticed lots of humanoids in Peterny. Almost all of them are from Sanmite."

"Interesting..." Cyrus said.

"But it's strange to find a Menodix around here. Everyone knows they almost never come down from their highlands."

"Well you see, Miss, it's kind of complicated," Roger said.

"Complicated... yeah, right," Cliff said.

"Why did the bandits capture you?" Fayt asked.

"That's a secret!" Roger said. "You know, a real man has things he can't even tell his girl."

"So let me get this straight, Ricky Racoon," Cyrus said, "getting crammed in a cage and blubbering behind bars is also part of being 'a real man?'"

"Hey the name's Roger, got that! And that was just part of a master plan! It was fool-proof!"

"Sure. Only problem, the user is already a fool." Cyrus pulled his brim down in front of his eyes and folded his arms. Roger was about to snap again when Cliff interupted.

"And what about this secret?" Cliff asked. "After we just saved your... tail?"

"What an odd kid," Nel said. "Let's leave him. I really don't want to hear his story anyway." Roger was, at the moment and perhaps the first time in his life, speechless. "We're not interest."

"Oh, but I'd really want you to hear about it, Miss… I really do!" Roger said as he started begging Nel to stay.

"Someone stop me before I wring this brat's neck." Cliff threatened.

"So? Why did they capture you?" Fayt asked.

"It was a dare," Roger said.

Fayt's face changed and looked sympathetic for the young runt. "A dare?" he asked.

"Yup, that's right. Ya see, me and my gang are enemies with this other gang back in Surferio. I challenged their leader to a dare to see who was the bigger man."

"A dare, huh? What was it that you did?" Nel asked.

"A test of courage. We dared each other to slip into the legendary Moonshadow Clan's hideout in Duggus Forest and steal the treasure therein! A test fit for real men!"

"I see… So you screwed up and got caught," Cliff said.

"...Shaddup, moron!"

"So now we know how you got here," Fayt said. "Be more careful on your way home. Later."

"…What'd you guys come here for, anyways? Not to clear out the bandits, I guess?"

"We're looking for someone," Cyrus said.

"Looking for someone? A girl?"

Fayt stopped in his tracks and turned back to Roger. "Yeah."

"I see… Well, I'll give ya a hand then."

"Huh?" was the only response Cliff made to Roger's proposal.

"I said I'll give you a hand, ya big lummox!" Roger snapped. "Besides, I know this forest much better than you guys do."

"Thanks for the offer, but…" Fayt said.

Roger quickly turned back and started to his charm. "Huh…? You're gonna refuse an offer from someone as irresistible as me?"

"Um... yeah," Cyrus said as he nodded his head.

"You're up to something, I can tell!" Cliff said. "You really gonna help us?" Roger was dumfounded and dropped his head as soon as he knew that he was once again found out. "As I thought."

Nel knelt down to Roger's level with a face that looked as though she pitied the Menodix. "Let's hear the truth," she said. "What do you really want?"

"Oh, well, Miss, ya see…I…um…uhh…" Roger started stumbling, twiddling with fingers to try and figure out how to say it.

"Go on," Fayt said, "we won't get angry."

"Yeah," Cyrus said. "I don't know about Cliff, but the rest of us aren't the kind to hold grudges."

"Well, I haven't exactly gotten the treasure from that dare I made, you see."

"Treasure?" Cliff asked.

"That's right, moron," Roger snapped. "It's a gold statuette…"

"Well, what's stopping you? Go get it!"

"Well, I would if I could, but the bandits' leader has it. And all I know is he's somewhere here in the forest."

"I get it..." Fayt said.

"So your plan is to leech on to us and hope you get lucky and we'll get that treasure for you?" Cliff said.

"Uhhh…that's one way of putting it…" Roger said.

"Well, why not?" Nel replied in nonchalance. "We might need some help after all."

"Are you outta your mind?" Cliff said, not liking her idea one bit.

"It's been some time since Ameena collapsed in the forest. We need to find her soon and bring her back to town. If this little guy really knows this area as he says, he could guide us."

"Well… I suppose."

"That's right!" Roger exclaimed.

"Part of me is saying that this is insane," Cyrus said, "but I guess there is a method to the madness."

"…Okay. What now?" Cliff asked Fayt.

"Hmm… Roger…was it? So, you'll help us out?" Fayt asked.

"I owe it to ya guys! Heh he he, just leave it to me!"

"Yeah, but what about that dare?" Cliff asked. "Yer not done yet, are ya?"

Roger task had slipped his mind. "Don't tell me you forgot?" Nel asked.

"Heh, does it really matter?" he said. "I mean, you guys are searchin' for someone in the forest, right? So, that means we might run into the guy I'm lookin' for! I'll help you guys find that girl and if we run into the bandit leader, you guys can help me slap him down! That way, everyone ends up happy."

"Okay," Fayt agreed. "Let's go."

"Go, go, go!"

"We've already wasted some crucial time," Cyrus said. "Let's hurry." The group left the house accompanied by their new teammate, Roger. As they got near the trail, everyone stopped as they saw a tall man approach. Unfortunately, Roger wasn't paying attention and accidently bumped into his legs.

Roger got up and was 'surprised' by the man towering over him. "Look o-o—out! Ah! You!"

"Wha'?" the man gasped.

"This would be…the boss?" Fayt asked in a whisper.

"Yep, no doubt about it." Nel said.

"Yeah, has to be," Cliff replied. "He looks kind of evil."

"No argument there, son," Cyrus said.

"So it's you, that little brat from before," the man said, looking down at the minuscule Roger. "What're you doin' here? Didn't we put you in a cage or something?"

"How do yah think you're gonna get away with putting Roger, man among men, in a steenkin' cage? Purdy women are the only ones who can catch this man, let me tell you!"

"_Wow!"_ Cyrus thought. _"For a little Procyonid, he sure does have a big superiority complex. With the mouth to match."_

"What the heck are you talkin' about?" the chief yelled back at Roger. "Get back to your cage already!"

"What kinda fool do you think I am? First of all, how'd I win the Real Man Contest if I went back in that cage?"

"Shaddup and do as I say! What's this 'Real Man Contest,' anyway?"

"It's a contest to see who's the real man, duh!"

"Wha'?"

"Never mind that! Just hurry up and gimme your treasure!"

The group became confused after Roger made an order to the Moonshadow Clan Chief. "Wait a minute, who said anything about that?" Cliff asked.

"Huh? Didn't I mention it?" Roger asked.

"No, not a single word," Nel replied.

Roger, once again, became speechless. "Um, er, anyway," he turned back to the chief to continue his persuasion. "Cough it up! Shut yer trap and gimme the goods. Stop wastin' time! Argh, just…just gimme it!"

"Who do you think you're kiddin'?" asked the chief, haughtily. "Why would I give you my treasure?"

"You don't understand anything, do you? What kind of fool are you? Wait, I know! You're a dumb-dumb, that's what kind! Gimme the treasure!"

Cyrus started to make the sound of fire burning. "Hey," he said, "I don't know 'bout you guys, but I'm afraid Sir Scowlalot over there just got burned."

"Huh?" Nel asked with a confused look on her face. "He doesn't look like he's on fire?"

"No, it's just a saying for a person making a good insult toward another person."

"Ah, I see..."

"Who're you callin' a dumb-dumb! I've had enough of you! I'll smash you to smithereens!"

"Hah! Like you could ever beat me! Come on, you guys! It's time to fight!"

"Hey, hey..." Cliff intruded, trying to get the chief's attention. He turned toward their direction, still looking pretty pissed.

"Can I ask you one thing first?" Fayt asked. "Did you see a girl with long hair picking flowers around here?"

"I don't know!" the chief snapped. "And why would I tell you guys if I did, anyway? You come around here, cracking jokes about me! Man, do you think it's my fault I look evil?"

"Oops, he heard us," Cliff said.

"It certainly looks that way," Nel said. "And I think you hurt his feelings, too. Maybe you'd better stop talking now."

"Nice going, Cliff," Cyrus said as he put his hand on his head and shook.

"Yes. Even though it's true, it looks like he's kinda sensitive about the whole subject. I won't say another word," Cliff said. Unfortunately, he just couldn't resist preying on the poor man's insecurity. "But man… He really does look evil, don't you think?"

"Why you!" the chief yelled. He walked over toward them to and drawn out his dagger, but Roger rammed right into him causing him to stumble.

"Hey!" he said. The chief regained his balanced and looked straight at Roger with an evil intention. "How about ya keep you're eyes on me, ya dumb-dumb!"

"You'll pay, you little brat." The chief ran toward Roger, dagger wielded up high. He was about to strike at the boy, but Roger dodged out of the way. The chief turned around and began using Wild Thrust, stabbing him swiftly, but to no avail. The man was worn out and Roger started to chuckle and scratch his nose. Now it was his turn to retaliate. Roger pulled out his ax, swung back and spun toward his opponent. Spinning at full speed, ax held out, he violently filleted the chief. After the second revolution, the chief was thrown into the air, slamming down a few yards away. Slowly, the leader picked himself up. Unfortunately, he recovered too slowly. A few yards away, Roger prepared for a final assault. His ax reflected the light from the sun and a malicious smile came upon his face. In a few seconds, he jumped in midair, and came slamming down on the foe. The blow knocked out the leader, on impact. The battle was over.

Roger walked up to the unconscious body of the former Moonshadow Clan chief and picked his pocket. There he found the prize that he's been fighting for; a small gold statuette. "Yeah, that's it!" Roger said in triumph. "That's a win for me! Hehe, take that, Lucien!"

"Congratulations!" Fayt said.

"Whoa!" Cyrus said. "That was one sick onslaught, Rog!"

"Woohoo!" Roger then turned toward Nel. "This is thanks to you, m'lady!" he said.

"Hey, hang on a second, there," quoted an irritated Cliff as he, Cyrus and Fayt knelt down and gave the little Menodix mean looks. "What're we then, window dressing?"

"Oh yeah. Thanks, I guess."

"You guess?"

"Well, I guess I could thank you, too. I guess." The three weren't satisfied. "Thanks, kinda, in a way," Roger said, but the looks on their faces grew even more fierce. "Well, it's not like I don't want to, um, thank you or something like that." They still didn't buy it. "Whew. Nice work." There was no response from any of 'em. Roger knew he had no choice. Cyrus even put his hand on the grip, giving Roger the motivation. "Okay, okay. Thank you very much."

"All right, that'll do," Cliff said as they got back to their feet.

"Anyway, forget about these two for a moment," Nel said. "We must search for Ameena, immediately."

"You're right," Fayt said.

"Let's get a move on," Cyrus said. Both Cyrus and Fayt began accompanying Nel and left the scene.

"Hey!" Cliff yelled.

"Wait a minute!" Roger yelled. Both were trying to catch up with the trio that were gonna leave them in a middle of a giant forest.

* * *

Author's Note 2: Just so I don't get any complaints later, a Procyonid is a family of mammals that belong to the group called Carnivora. They evolved during the Oligocene and include the modern day racoon. I used this reference because in the game dictionary, they noted that Menodix were evolved from Racoons.

* * *

Part 10.2: The Mad Mud

Minutes after the search continued, Cyrus plugged his ears and began listening to a track from "Panzer Dragoon Orta" called "Eternal Glacies." It wasn't just because he wanted to, in his case, he had to. Behind the group, Roger and Cliff started arguing. The music blocked some of the constant bickering that was exchanged. Unfortunately, not all of it could be tuned out. Cyrus even turned the volume to its maximum, but to no avail. Nel and Fayt were also at the mercy of the high pitched shouts. Bags covered the trios eyes and the heat from above caused sweat to pour down from their faces. "I'm beginning envy the sweat drops right about now," Cyrus said.

"Why do you say that?" Fayt asked.

"Cause they don't have worry about staying here with these loudmouths for long."

"I agree," Nel said, then Nel was amazed to know that Cyrus was able to respond. "Hold on. How can you still hear us."

"I tried to raise the volume up, but their arguing was even louder than that," Cyrus said. "If I left itup like that any longer, I'm pretty sure I'd get an aneurism." He turned to Fayt who was on his right side. "Yo homes, you wouldn't mind shutting 'em up would you?"

"I calmed them down earlier."

"Nel?"

"I did it after Fayt."

With out any thought, Cyrus knew it was his turn. "It looks like I'm next... Yay," he said in an exasperated tone. He turned toward Cliff and Roger, still pretty worn out. "Say guys." Their attention was finally focused on Cyrus. "Who wants to play a game?" he asked.

"A game?" Roger asked. "Yeah, that be fun."

"I don't think..." Cliff was then interrupted by a pissed of Cyrus.

"Shut up, you're playing!" Cyrus snapped quickly.

"Sca-ree," Cliff replied in a low tone.

"Now, the game the quiet game. Me, Fayt and Nel will be the in charge. It goes like this, you can talk if any of us asks you something."

"Like what?" Roger asked.

"Like, how far are we to the flower field?"

"Not far," Roger said. He then took the map and circled moved his fingers through the route. "This is where you're looking for," he said as he tapped his finger to the destination.

"Okay." Cyrus got out a pen and marked the spot. "Now, like I said before, we're in charge. You guys follow us to the destination that is marked on the map."

"Okay..." Cliff said.

"Now the rules. No talking. That includes no whispers, no arguing, no vocal communication whatsoever until we get there."

"What if we do?"

"Have any of you guys heard of the Donner Party?" The two nodded. "Lets just say, it didn't end up with a happily ever after. In fact, they loved each other so much, they could eat themselves to death. The thing was, they did." The two had gasped after Cyrus' tale. They had a good idea on what he meant. Cyrus made a malicious smirk. "Now anyone care to test this theory?" he said as he held up his sword. They shook their heads in fear. "Good. Now come on." Cyrus headed back the Nel and Fayt who stood up ahead.

"So, how did it go?" Nel asked.

"I have a feeling they won't say anything anytime soon," Cyrus replied. "All you need is to use a little... persuasion, and they'll do just about anything."

Fayt was silent. "You've been using cannibalism, haven't you?"

"Nu-uh!" The two stared at Cyrus. "Okay, maybe I did. But it was the only way!" Cyrus quickened his pace. Fayt looked down and shook his head. Throughout the day, the group had to evade even more rock slides, take down a seemingly infinite amount of monsters, and for Cyrus, remind Cliff and Roger about the 'game' that they were playing every time they were about to argue. By late afternoon, the group had made to an entrance that lead to the last stage of the forest.

"Okay, so this is it," Cliff said.

"So it would appear," Cyrus agreed.

"Are you sure we'll find Ameena in here?" Fayt asked Roger.

"Of course. The flower bed is here."

"Okay," Nel said. "Then let's go."

"Foward, march!" Roger yelped and he marched forward, ahead of the group. The group had odd looks toward each other. The only response Cyrus made was a shrug and followed the bushy tailed boy through the trees and toward a large clearing. As soon as the group entered, they were engulfed in a fog that covered the entire field. "Oh no! Where is everybody?" Roger yelled. "Hey guys!" The group looked down on him with embarrassed looks.

"Hey, Roger," Cyrus said. "Yo." Roger looked up and saw Cyrus waving above him and the faces of his other comrades.

"Uh... So where were you guys?"

"Oh, I don't know," Cliff said. "Maybe here the whole time?"

"Yeah," Fayt said, "wherever 'here' is."

Cyrus scanned the thick terrain. He then looked back at the map and laid it on the ground. "Alright, we're right here," he said as he pointed to their current location. Everyone knelt down to see the map. "If we turn this way and keep going this direction," he ran his finger diagonally to the northwest passage, "then we should be able get to Ameena."

"Alright then," Nel said. "We have no time to loose." The group arose and ran the route. As soon as they entered the opening, they came back to the field. Cyrus looked around and they only saw a thick fog. Roger tugged on Fayt's pant leg and pointed to another opening right next to them. The group noticed and they went that direction. Unbeknownst to them, they were spat back out to the field. The group began to look confused. Cyrus saw another unused passage and shook Nel's shoulder. He pointed to the other route and she nodded. Again the group ran through it just to get thrown back into the area that they started from.

"Ok," Nel said, "I think we're in an enigma here."

"No kidding," Cliff said. "Didn't we just start here?"

"This fog is messing us up," Roger said.

"So what do we do?" Cyrus said.

"I think I know," Fayt said. "This fog maybe thick, but if we find the cause..."

"We might be able to use the passageways. "

"But how?" Roger asked.

Cyrus was scratching his head, then an idea popped into his head. "Of course!"

"Of course what?"

"You see, when too much water vapor near the surface is getting evaporated at once, condensation occurs; which is the dispersing of water into its molecular components, Hydrogen Oxygen. This causes a thick layer of crystalized H2O particles to gather in a large mass, resulting in a dense cloud which lays upon the ground and when sunlight refracts upon it, the cloud turns white. This event happens only near a large and warm body of water." The group looked at Cyrus in surprise. It was one of the few times that he said something that was either informative or helpful. "What? I took a Meteorology class, ok?"

"Oh, that explains it," Cliff said.

"But enough of that. Roger, where's the nearest spring?"

"Well, the last time I remember, it was Northeast from the field."

"So that would mean it's right next to us," Fayt said. The group slowly turned and saw another passageway.

"Let's hope we won't be ricocheted back here," Cliff said.

"Let's hurry," Nel ordered. The group nodded and they raced through the entrance. By the time they got there, they saw a large spring that was covered in a lower amount of fog.

"Is this where the fog is coming from?" Fayt asked.

"Either way, there's definitely something suspicious about this place," Roger said.

"Okay, what do we do next?" Cliff asked.

"Uh-oh," Cyrus said.

"What?"

"Something's coming," Nel said.

"This looks like trouble!"Roger replied. Suddenly, a large creature arose from the spring. Its fingers were large and tapering. Its body appeared as though it was made out of the very mud itself.

"Whoa! I've heard of getting down and dirty before," Cyrus said. "But actually being down and dirty, now that's just ridiculous!"

"We better be careful," Nel said. The creature, Mudman, started dragging itself toward the group by pulling with it's long arms. Cliff and Roger charged at their enemy. In seconds, the two were kicking and punching and the behemoth. As soon as the other three came to slash at the foe with their swords and daggers, Mudman started swinging its arms, making himself a twister that juggled Cliff and Roger. Though they felt the pain, the group got back up. Roger performed his Fiery Ax, which he leapt up at the foe and dive bombed it with a scorching hot ax. Cliff ran toward it and used his Sphere of Might, which formed a large orb of energy that created a good amount of damage. Nel, stepped back and performed the symbological art of Fire Bolt while Cyrus and Fayt teamed up with their Blazing Swords. Mudman saw that Fayt and Cyrus getting into the mix would be trouble. In the nick of time, the monster swept its long arm and made a small twister that thrown everyone off their feet. With the rest of the group down, but not truly out, Mudman quickly turned his attention on Nel. He dragged his body large body, but Nel saw its charge. She jumped into the air and was hurled at the beast. The damage was considerable, but not enough to stop it. She then spun in the air, slashing the target which caused it to bounce back, but it recovered and used its Mudman Punch, an attack which fired each fist like a rocket straight at Nel.

Cyrus stood back up and saw that Mudman was going to unleash a most devastating attack, favorably known as Mudman Blast. "Nel! Get out of the way!" Cyrus shouted, but Nel was already hurt by the ball of muck that was blown at her. In the last few seconds, Cyrus ran pushed her out of the way just in time to save her from Mudman before he slammed his large hand down on the ground. The attack sent the mud splashing in all directions and made a loud thud. Nel had survived. Unfortunately for Cyrus, he received a lot of damage from the impact. When the rest of the group got up, they saw Nel shaking the body of Cyrus.

"Cyrus! Get up!" she yelled. Cyrus' eyes slowly opened to see the face of Nel peering over him. He also saw another face, the enemy's. Cyrus' pupils shrunk in surprise. Nel looked behind to see Mudman's arms opened wide, ready to finish them both with one crushing clap. Luckily then a yell was heard from behind it that cancelled the attack. It was the cry of Roger as his ax sunk deep inside Mudman's muddy hide. Along with him was Fayt and Cliff. The monster found himself overwhelmed by the team. Nel and Cyrus found this as an opportunity to perform their healing techniques. As soon as they were revitalized, Cyrus' blade began to glow the symbolic red and blue lights. He was about to learn a new move. Though looking a little banged up, the two stood in battle positions. Nel launched herself up and catapulted at the Mudman. Cyrus studied the move and did the same thing... with one small change. As soon as he jumped up, he somersaulted toward the monster with the sword held in front. The assault from Cyrus gave the monster a large amount of damage. Cyrus face had a nasty smile on it. His calculating eyes were focused on the target. Now, he knew the time was right. Now, he knew it was time... for Shadow Slash. The group stepped back from the creature, knowing not to get caught in the crossfire. The dark aura had shrouded his body like a large, black flame. Holding his sword out, he ran towards Mudman at a high speed. Mudman tried to counter by using Poisonous Punch, but Cyrus ran right through the toxic cloud made by the attack. In the blink of an eye, Cyrus made a large gash through the creature. By the time the attack was complete, he was already on the other side of his adversary, sword held up, body still engulfed in a dark aura. Time stood still for a minute until Mudman roared out in pain. It was over and Mudman melted into a puddle of mud which then went back into the lake, never to return again.

As soon as Judgement Day came for Mudman, the fog had lifted and the sun was shining brightly once more. "The fog has vanished," Nel said.

"Come on," Fayt said, "we'd better hurry up and find Ameena."

"Well then," Cyrus said, "let's get going." Cyrus pulled out the map. "Remember the passage we were at before we came here?"

"Yeah."

"That's where we're going."

"Alright gang," Roger said. "Let's move out gang." Roger said. The group walked to their next destination, hoping they weren't to late. Behind the group, Nel was keeping her pace with Cyrus who was listening to "Just Got Wicked" by Cold from the Jet Grind Radio Soundtrack.

"Cyrus," Nel said.

"Yeah?"

"I want to know... why did you do it?"

"Huh? What do you mean...?"

"You risked your life to save mine. Why did you do so?"

"That's teamwork for ya, Nel. We stand together, or together we fall, right?" Cyrus smiled and chuckled.

"You're correct. Sometimes, you can't go at it alone."

"That's right. But how about we focus on the goal in mind. Let's hurry and find Ameena." Cyrus and Nel caught up to the rest of the gang and they continued to fallow the trail.

In under half an hour, the group had arrived at the large flower bed at the end of the path. Laying on the ground still sleeping, was Ameena. "Ameena! Ameena!" Fayt called, but no response. The group rushed toward her aid, checking if she was still alive.

"This who yer talkin' about?" Roger asked.

"Yeah," Cliff said. He turned back to the rest of the group and asked, "Well? She okay?"

"She's still breathing," Nel said, "but… I don't think her chances are good."

"Let's get her back to town quick!" Fayt said. Ameena began to groan.

"See ya guys later then," Roger said. "Glad we found the girl!"

"Thanks," Fayt said. "We really appreciate your help."

"Don't sweat it. One good turn deserves another." Roger said.

"There's no way we could thank you enough, homes," Cyrus said. "I have a feeling that we will pay you back sometime, Rog."

"That's alright. All that matters is that our work here is done. See ya." Without further reason to stay, Roger hurried on back to his home in Surferio.

"Let's hurry," Cliff said.

"Yeah," Fayt agreed. Fayt picked up Ameena and carried her to back to Peterny where she could get the medical aide needed.

* * *

Part 10.3: Helping Hands

Back in the town of Peterny, the group laid Ameena in the bed of her middle aged guardian's house. They were anxious to know if she would survive. In moments, a doctor came in started using her symbology to revive the unconscious body of Ameena. The doctor signaled that she was alright. "I'm so happy she's home safe, thanks to all of you," the middle aged woman said.

"Aah, it was nothing," Cliff assured.

"We were just helping someone that needed it," Cyrus pointed out.

"No, no, the doctor said that, had you found her much later it might have been too late," the woman reported. "Oh, I feel so sorry for the poor girl. She lost both of her parents, and now this disease…"

"Ma'am?" Fayt said as he turned to the woman.

"Oh, it's all the war's fault! If it wasn't for this war, Ameena's parents wouldn't have died, and she could have lived in peace…"

"That's why the killing has to end," Nel said. She walked over toward Fayt and the woman.

"Indeed—But there's not much we can do. All we can do is make Wishing Charms and pray that Apris ends the war… If only I had the power, I'd smash those Airyglyph scum into little pieces…" the woman clenched her fist and pressed it down hard in the palm of the other hand. "I…I feel so powerless!"

"Power..." Fayt quietly said to herself. Suddenly, the stirs of Ameena were heard as she was slowly waking up. "Ameena?"

"Huh? …Fayt? Why are you here? I…" Ameena tried to get up, still shaking from the effects of her attack.

Fayt quickly ran to her bedside. "Don't get up, Ameena. You have to rest!" he said as he gently lowered her back to the bed.

"Why are you here, Fayt? I thought you were going to leave for Aquios today…?"

"Well…"

"These people brought you back here after you collapsed," the woman explained. "You collapsed on top of the mountain, Ameena. I couldn't carry you all the way home—so I came back to get help. Well, that's when I saw this boy…"

"I see… Fayt, everyone, thank you very much. I am so sorry for the trouble I've caused you all…"

"Nah, don't worry about it," Cliff said.

"He's right," Nel said in a kind tone. "You just concentrate on resting up and getting better."

"Okay."

"And, Ameena?"

"Yes?"

"I asked that doctor to take care of you for me. If you start feeling worse, go see her right away."

"But…how will I pay her?"

"That's not a problem. We've already come to an agreement about the fee. It's all taken care of."

"I, I can't let you do that!"

"You need to learn to take favors when they're offered. Don't worry—you don't owe me anything. That doctor is an old friend of mine. I'm happy to use my connections to help."

"She's right. Listen, she says it's okay, so it's okay!" Cliff said.

"But..."

"How about this?" Just think of it as payment for the Maiden of Irisa? Does that sound fair?"

"That was a gift."

"Come on, just say 'yes.'"

"You want to see your friend again, don't you?" Fayt asked. "You'll need to get better as fast as possible if you want to do that, right?"

"I…don't know how to thank you."

"It's fine," Cyrus said.

"Don't mention it," Cliff said. "Fayt?"

"Yeah. Ameena? Sorry, but we have to go."

"You do?"

"I'd like to stay and help you get better, but there's something important I have to do." Nel became silent, knowing what Fayt was talking about. "It's something I've thought about a lot. At first, I was just going to run away from it all, but then I realized: sometimes, you're the only one that can make a difference. And if it's something that might help people you've got to give it a try!"

"Yes…"

"Fayt, you don't mean--?" Nel said in surprise.

"That's right, I'll cooperate with you. Of my own free will, of course. So let's go…before I change my mind again."

"Uh…okay!"

"Well," Cyrus said, "it's safe to say that you've got my vote, G"

"Thanks, Cyrus."

"You're as easy to read as always," Cliff said.

"I'll take that as a compliment. Fayt then turned to Ameena. "All right, we have to go now. I'm sorry, ma'am—please take good care of Ameena."

"I will," she said. "You folks take care of you own work, whatever that may be. Leave Ameena to me."

"Thank you," Fayt replied.

"Fayt."

"Huh?"

"I'll see you again, right?"

"Yes, you will."

"I'm looking forward to it."

"I am too… Take care!"

"All right." The group exited the room.

Cyrus was the only one left. "Ameena."

"Yes?"

"Don't give up hope."

"I won't." With that said, Cyrus took a bow to Ameena and left the room himself.

Inside the living room, Cliff sat in a table chair while Nel stood next to him. Fayt and Cyrus entered and they both knew that Nel still wanted to make sure if Fayt wanted to proceed. Fayt turned his back and thought as Cyrus rested on the wall. Fayt nodded his head, signaling to Nel that he still wished to assist. After being satisfied, Nel left the room and waited for them to come out. " You sure about this?" Cliff asked.

"Yeah," Fayt answered.

"And you Cyrus?"

"I'm fine with what he decides. I have no objections, dog."

"I see." Cliff turned back to Fayt. "So, whatever happened to that precious UP3 you used to worry about all the time?"

"Ah yes, well… I've made up my mind. I'll do whatever it takes to end this war. That's all."

"Heh. Well, you know my saying," Cyrus replied, "'Question all authority. Even the ones you like.'"

"There are things I can do, that no one else can do! If there's a chance I can help…'" Cliff replied by using his own saying, "Hah! Cool, kid, very cool."

"Either way, we've interfered so much already, it's not going to make any difference, is it?" Fayt asked. "And there's no guarantee we'll ever get off this planet."

"Making a virtue of necessity, huh?"

"Is that wrong? I have to do something if I'm ever going to get out of here and find my dad…"

"You got the right idea. And I think you could use a little gung-ho, y'know?"

"You think?"

"Well, that's the way I prefer to do things, anyway."

"Yeah. A little too much if you ask me," Cyrus said.

"What was that?" Cliff asked in a frank tone.

"Nothin'" Cyrus complied quickly.

"All right, let's go. She's waiting." The two nodded. They left the house to hook up with Nel.

"Took you long enough," Nel said. The gang turned around and saw her waiting near the window. "What were you talking about?"

"Oh nothing—I was just asking him if he's going to miss Ameena," Cliff said.

"Silly question. Of course he will."

"Lay off the teasing, all right? It's not like we're going out, geez!"

Nel chuckled softly. "That's what they all say," Cyrus said.

"Oh yeah, about the doctor… Thanks," Fayt said to Nel

"Don't thank me. I was just doing…what I wanted to do."

"But..."

"Actually… That doctor is one of my subordinates."

"You mean like Tynave?"

"Well…they're not all doing the same thing—but they are all agents of Aquaria, and they help me out when I need it."

"How nice," Cliff said.

"That's cool," Cyrus replied.

"Just the same, please accept my gratitude," Fayt said.

"I said don't worry about it," Nel replied. There was a short pause and Nel looked up at Fayt, still wondering if what he said was true.

"What is it?"

"Can I really believe what you said back there?"

"About what?"

"That you'll do what you can. I take that to mean you'll cooperate with us?"

"Yes, I will."

"Hmm… Well, I welcome your change of heart. I'll have to thank Ameena and her friend. But are you really sure about this?"

"I'm just going along with what he decides," Cliff said.

"And I'm support him as well," Cyrus said.

"Right… I've made up my mind."

"In that case… Thanks in advance."

"You're welcome. Now—let's get to Aquios!"

The group left the residential zone of the east side and were about to continue on their journey north to Aquaria, but an idea popped into Cyrus' head. "Hold it!" he shouted. The group turned to him, wondering why he stopped their current trek.

"What's wrong?" Fayt asked with his arms folded.

"You starting to have second thoughts?" Cliff questioned.

"No it's not that..." Cyrus said, trying to figure out a way to tell them.

"Come on, spit it."

"Well, we all know that there is a big war going on right?"

"Right..."

"And there is a chance that one weapon won't stop it entirely, right?"

"What are you saying, Cyrus?" Nel asked.

"What I'm trying to say is that we need some more assistance with the current state of things."

"You're right," Fayt said. "But who do you have in mind?"

"I think I know..." Cyrus ran toward the west exit with the rest of the group not far behind.

Past the plains of the Samnite Steppe and through a passage that cuts between the mountains is a village that sit on a lake. It's called the Lost City of Surferio. In a small island that is connected by a wooden bridge, is Roger and two cohorts of his friends. At their disposal, was a group of books that another friend of theirs picked up at the bottom of the river. One of Roger's comrades, a husky kid that wore a robe and held a stick, looked through the pages, wondering what the artifacts read. "It's impossible," he said. "I can't decipher these tomes mean."

"Oh, come on," the other kid said. He was a bit taller and looked like his eyes were closed. Like Roger, he also had on a helmet, the only difference was that it was in better condition. "Maybe you didn't read it right, Melt!"

"I'm the only one who can read this print, Dribe! I'm sorry, but it's no use."

"Hmm... This is a strange predicament," Roger replied.

The boys dropped the books and began to think on how to solve this mystery. "Yo..." a rough, yet familiar voice called.

The boys turned around and saw a Fayt, Cliff, Cyrus and Nel. "Ho! It's you guys!" Roger said. Great to see yah!"

Melt was confused. "Hey, who are these guys?" Dribe asked.

"Oh. These guys are trying to be my henchmen. I guess that'd make them your underlings or something."

"Huh?" Cliff said in a skeptical tone.

"…You're joking," Melt said.

"Come on, Roger, tell the truth!" Dribe insisted.

Roger thought about it through and reluctantly spilled the beans. "Sorry, hehe, just kiddin'… I had them help out in the 'Real Man Contest' a while back."

"Ah, okay then. Heh, I thought there was something funny going on. These guys seem pretty strong and all."

"The name's Fayt Leingod. Nice to meet you."

"Cliff Fittir."

"Nel Zelpher."

"Cyrus Splicer. The big shot on the west side."

"Howdy, nice to meet you guys, I'm Dribe. I'm one of Roger's crew."

"I'm Melt. So you guys were the ones helping Roger. Heh, don't bother speaking. I see all, and know all."

A questionable look appeared on Fayt's face. "Heh, yeah, this guy can read the stars, just a little," Dribe explained. "He says weird things sometimes, but don't let that bother you."

"Wow… The ability to read the stars…" Fayt said.

"An astrologist.. Tight," Cyrus complimented.

"What are ya guys doing?" Cliff asked.

"Hey! I just found this awesome item!" Roger said.

"Hey, you didn't find that," Dribe squealed, "Geloro of the Greem tribe found it…"

"You fool! Yah didn't have to tell 'em that!"

"...This is it," Melt said.

"A book?" Nel replied.

"That's right," Dribe said.

"A mysterious book, dug from the ruins on the bottom of the lake bed…" Roger explained. "It just reeks of adventure! But I don't really understand what it says."

"You don't understand what it says?" Fayt asked.

"I don't know these characters," Dribe answered. "Only Melt can read it, and even he doesn't understand the whole thing. All I know is, it seems to be talking about a certain place."

Cliff walked over to the books to read a page from one of the volumes. "Yeah, I can't read this stuff…" Cliff reported. He then turned to Dribe to ask him, "What does it say?"

"Hidden spring in a sea of rolling white fog; what will the stalwart father and son who stand guard think? Caves as dark as death. The five attributes come into conflict. What light can reveal them? The rotted corridor, guarded by archers of the gods. The Sun King sleeps in his coffin. What shall the mute corpse say? Which of the three shall claim the kingless throne? Does the sacrifice of the winged messenger of the gods gaze at hope or despair? At the end of the caverns where the copper sleeps, the northernmost wiseman gazes upon the lake. Is it an ancient power sealed below the roots? Burning flames of the underworld. The red twins, looked down upon by the giant from the tribe of long ears. Who can release that inner power? …That's all of it."

"Hmm… I don't get it," Roger said. "What's it talking about?"

"All I know is, it sounds like a bunch of riddles telling you where to find stuff…" Dribe guessed.

"Verily so," Melt said in agreement.

"Guess all we can do is go on an adventure and find out!" Roger suggested.

"Nooo, are you kidding?" a concerned and terrified Dribe complied. "It's daaaaangerous!"

"Well of course it is! Adventure's gotta be dangerous!"

"I haaaaate danger."

"Grr, you gutless wonder!" Roger said in an agonized tone, stamping his feet in rage. "You call yourself a man?"

"…But, it said 'burning flames of the underworld!'" Roger scoffed. "This will be nothing but trouble!"

Roger knew that arguing with Dribe would get the conversation nowhere. "Oh, all right! You guys, help me out here!"

"What?" Cliff said in shock.

"I said help me! And in return, I'll help you guys out on your adventures, too!"

"Yeah, but…"

"What's wrong with that? All you gotta do is help out with our treasure hunt while you're on your own adventure."

"So what'll it be?"

"I'll leave it to you," Nel said.

"Hey it's the main reason we came to place. You've got yourself a deal, Rog."

"Yahoo! All right!" Roger yelled in gratitude.

"Take care of our crazy brother…" Dribe said to Cliff.

"He's in your hands now," Melt added.

"I'll see you guys then!" Roger said. "I'll pick up some presents for you guys, too, don't worry!"

"Great!"

"Laters!" the group left the island to pick up some equipment. But unknown to them, a suspicious character positioned himself by the area. He wore a large cloak and weird glasses. His ears poked out from his hood, twitching in glee. He rode on the head of a large, frog like creature called a Greem. "Heh… Well, now, that was interesting. A book of riddle describing places… Guess I'll go tell my excitable young boy about that right away." The boy chuckled while the Greem stuck its tongue out. Without much to stick around for, the hooded character gestured to his frog-like accomplice to leave the area and head for home.

"So, you came here for me?" Roger asked as they were restocking supplies at a store.

"That's right. Cyrus here insisted that you should tag along," Fayt said.

"Yup. Besides little man, if it weren't for you, we wouldn't have gotten Ameena home safetly. And as a bonus, now you get to go on an adventure dog."

"Gee, thanks, Cyrus!"

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Cliff asked. "I mean, what use will he be?"

"Don't worry, homes. He'll serve a very useful purpose," Cyrus said in a smile. "Trust me."

"Fine, but how about we rest somewhere first," Nel said. She was right to suggest it. Along the way here, they had to defeat lots of monsters that they've encountered. It hard to say that they hadn't arrived at one hundred percent and it's almost late.

"Alright, m'lady," Roger said, trying to charm Nel. "I know a perfect rest spot. C'mon!" The group looked at Cyrus, each with their shares of whimsical looks. Cyrus shrugged his shoulders, and with the group behind him, they followed Roger until they saw a large house on the other side of the lake. "Here it is."

"Big house," Cliff said.

"Aren't you such a detective, ya big lummox. This home belongs to the mayor which happens to be my dad."

"Cool," Cyrus said.

"Well, let's go on. My mom'll set up some beds. Although she does read stories non-stop."

"Riiight..." Cliff said.

"Let's go." Roger, Cliff and Fayt went inside, but Cyrus saw a strange, metallic figure laying near an old ruin at the edge of the cliff. Cyrus walked over to it, Nel knew that he was curious about the object.

"What's this?" Cyrus asked.

"Well, isn't it a battle mech, pride and joy of you engineers from the technological superpower of Greeton?" Nel asked.

"You mean this contraption came from Greeton?"

"What, you didn't know? This is one of those ancient battle mechs that they used to drive the Ancient Kingdom of Aquor to ruin."

"_Wow, so this is what it looks like up close!" _Cyrus thought while taping on the armor. _"Though this automaton supposedly uses the symbological force of its operator to move, the functions and other items required to work it are absolutely unique, especially for movement. It may be convergent to the robots we've supposedly made in my time era, though I bet it would but them to shame. I bet that if this was their past innovation of superior technology, then they were already in the twenty first century. If that's the case, they must be even more advanced than back then. It's a shame we won't be able to see any. It be hella cool if we did, though."_

"How is it you do not know what this is, yet you hail from Greeton?" Nel asked in suspicion. "Are you immigrants or something?"

"Duh... yeah? Yeah, that's right. Cliff and I immigrated there. So we're not exactly up to grasp with the ancient history, yet."

"Hm... I see. Well, I did hear about all sorts of friction with the native Rockfolk and other races there in that kingdom. Maybe that is why Fayt's father was abducted?"

"That summed it up. You might be on to something there."

"Well, I guess we should get back with the rest of the group."

"Yeah, we better or else Cliff would strangle Roger and Fayt could go totally insane." Nel chuckled thinking that scenario might actually occur. They went inside and saw Roger's mom reading an old story. From the looks on everyone else's faces, they must've heard it so many times. Cyrus stuck his headphones on and turned on the radio. That night, at around 11:30 at night on Cyrus' watch, the horrors of story telling was over and everyone was snoring in their sleep, except for Nel, who couldn't get to sleep. She got out of her bed and shook Cyrus. One hard shake and Cyrus was up. "Wha- Nel?"

"Cyrus, is it okay if I borrow your device?" she asked.

"Fine, but make sure to get it back by tomorrow."

"Okay." Cyrus pulled his headphones off and gave the MP3 player to Nel. In a matter of seconds, Cyrus was knocked out, snoring like the rest of the guys. Nel bowed and placed the headphones in her ears. She wrapped the blanket around her and went to sleep. The next morning, the group woke up. Nel gave the radio back to Cyrus and after saying farewell to Roger's parents, they left Surferio and headed for the Royal City of Aquaria.


	12. Chapter 11

Part 11.1: Welcome to Aquios

After a long (as well as loud) day's journey, the group of five had finally reached their destination. The Royal City of Aquios, the capital of the Aquarian Empire. They came through the city's gates and were at awe with its colorful sights. "What a beautiful city..." Fayt said.

"I'll say. Downtown Sacramento, eat your heart out," Cyrus commented.

"Yes, it's the pride of our kingdom," Nel replied. "But there are people trying to take this city for themselves."

"Airyglyph, huh?" Cliff asked.

"Yes."

"Nel, what happens next?" Fayt asked.

"First, I'll introduce the three of you to our ruler."

"You mean... the Quenn?" Cyrus asked in amazement.

"That's right."

"This is great!" Roger shouted. "I finally get to meet a Queen!"

"So what's this queen like, anyway?" Cliff asked. "I was kinda hoping she'd be hot, myself."

"Look, Cliff, whatever you do, please don't say something like that in front of Her Majesty," Nel advised.

"C'mon, you know I'm just teasing! It's a J-O-K-E…"

"_Yeah right,"_ everyone thought.

"No really."

"I think it's time for ya to shut up, ya moron," Roger said.

"What was that, kid?" Cliff asked.

"You heard me."

"Oh man," Cyrus said in a low tone. He held his forehead with his hand and shook it.

"Shall we go then?" Fayt asked.

" Let's," Nel said in response. "The castle is straight down this road."

"Hey wait up!" Cliff said as he was trying to catch up with his comrades.

"You know, I think we should restock on items," Cyrus said.

"Why do you say that?" Fayt asked.

"We've been in the wilderness for a while. Our inventory is as empty as the Ticket Masters for WrestleMania XXI." Cyrus showed a the supplies bag and turned it upside down. There was nothing there but one leftover Aquaberry that dropped to the ground.

"I don't know what this 'WrestleMania XXI' is," Cliff said, "but I agree."

"I guess we could go," Nel said. The group walked north and were in the center of the city. "Alright. The shops we want to use are on the East side of town. When we're finished then we must be on our way."

"Okay then," Roger said. "After you m'lady." Roger showed her to the street and halted the other guys. He cut in front of them and trotted behind Nel as if he was triumphant about something. The group followed the Menodix and the Crimson Blade. "Hey!" Roger exclaimed. "I think this looks like a good place to go," he said as they stopped in front of a small house.

"Are you sure this is a shop?" Cyrus asked.

"They're small business stores," Nel stated, "but their inventory is the same as all other markets."

"Okay then," Cliff agreed, "let's go in."

"_Something fells strange here," _Cyrus thought. _"I was sure that there was only one shop in each area." _Seeing that he had no choice, Cyrus reluctantly joined the group and headed inside the establishment. Unknowingly to them, they would be surprised themselves to see its residence.

As they entered, a nervous man turned around and was shocked to see the group enter his home. "Huh? Who are you?" he asked.

"Oh, sorry," Fayt apologized "We shouldn't have come in here without permission. We're travelers from a faraway land."

"You people? Travelers? I don't believe it!" He said as he saw Nel, "Anyone in the company of Lady Nel Zelpher of the Crimson Blade cannot be a mere traveler. After all, she is a commander serving directly under Her Majesty and the pride of Aquaria." Nel smiled embarrassingly as the man praised her.

"Wow Nel," Cliff said. "Must be a fan of yours."

"That, or a real psycho," Cyrus said in a low tone, "back away slowly."

"You must have an important mission." The nervous man walked over to Cliff. "Oh please, please tell me what it is. Here just whisper in my ear." Then he returned to where he was. "I know! You're on such an important mission that you can't tell another living soul! I understand. I shall not question any further." The man gave a light chuckle.

"Okay," Roger said. "Well, I guess we should be leaving now." The group walked out the door and remained quiet.

"Well," Cyrus said, breaking the silence, "like I said before: psy-cho."

"Um... okay," Roger said. "How about we buy our supplies later. We have a queen to meet."

"For once, you're making sense," Cyrus said.

"Hey, watch it!" Roger snapped. Cyrus grinned.

"So, I guess that settles it," Fayt responded. "Castle Aquaria, here we come." The group swam through the sea of people and headed north.

By the time they reached the castle gates, the group was stopped by two guards. "Halt," commanded the first soldier as blocked their way with his staff.

"The royal castle lies ahead," informed the other soldier. "The Chapel is not open for worship at this time."

"If you are here to worship, come back later. Otherwise, you'd best leave."

"At ease," Nel said.

"Lady Nel!" said the first soldier in shock.

"So these guys… I… I mean, these gentlemen are…?" the second soldier was still surprised to see her return.

"That's right," Nel said. "We'll be going in, now."

"Yes, ma'am!" the soldiers said in unison. The first soldier moved his staff and the group entered the premises.

The inside of the castle was massive and majestic. The floors looked so clean, that it was possible for one to eat off of. The halls were decorated with lamps attached to each wall. "We're going to the audience chamber upstairs," Nel informed.

"That's cool," Cyrus said.

Cliff had his attention caught by a large entrance the was across the castle's entrance. "Hm, what's in there?" he asked curiously.

"That's the Chapel," Nel answered. "Pilgrimages to Kaddan, the holy land of Apris, involve such a long and treacherous journey that most people just do their worshipping here, in the castle Chapel."

"A Chapel…" Fayt said under his breath.

"If you're interested, go take a look later."

"I might just do that."

"The audience chamber is this way. Follow me." The group followed Nel to the chamber. Along the way though, they had to deal with a scatter brained Roger who was wondering off after every girl that the group passed. Cliff caught him straying away and solved the problem by dragging the boy by the tail, hearing the threats and screams that he made. The group arrived on the top floor of the castle. In a few steps, the group stopped as Nel stood in front of the large doorway that lead to the audience chamber. "We've been granted an audience with Her Majesty. Remember proper etiquette."

"Proper etiquette is my middle name," Cliff said.

"Yeah, right," Roger said with his head turned.

"Do we have an issue down there?"

"What was that, lummox?"

"You heard."

"You guys..." Fayt called.

"Hey you two," Cyrus called. Their attention was now on Cyrus. "You guys could bicker at some other time, you hear me? But right now, we've got some business to take care of. Fell me, playas?"

"It's not my fault," Roger whimpered.

"Come on you two," Fayt said. The two became silent.

"Alright," Nel said. "Let's go." The group entered the large room of the complex.As Cyrus was about to go inside, he heard the rustling of the plant behind him. He thought it was his imagination and shrugged it off. Inside the chamber, Nel and the others knelt down in front of the presence of the queen's thrown. "I have returned, Your Majesty," she said and bent her head down.

"You have done well," complimented the man standing next to the chair. "Are these the ones?"

"Yes, Magistrate Lasselle."

"Lift your faces. Her Majesty will speak now… Listen well to her words."

The group looked up to the queen as being a beautiful woman who sat in the thrown. She wore a royal white robe and, though her head was concealed, she had a short haircut. "Welcome, engineers of Greeton, to the Sacred Kingdom of Aquaria. I am the Queen of this country, Romeria Zin Emurille."

"My name is Fayt Leingod."

"My name is Cliff Fittir, You Majesty. I am deeply honored and grateful for this audience with your royal person."

"I am Cyrus Splicer. I am privileged of being in your presence, your majesty."

"I'm Sir Roger S. Huxley of Samnite. It is a pleasure to be of service to you."

"We have summoned you to this Royal Palace to request your assistance. As you may have heard, our country is at war with Airyglyph. And the war is not going well with Aquaria… The situation calls to mind Chapter Fifteen of Ikelos' Book of Prophecies, a book that contains the holy teachings of Apris."

"Ikelos' Book of Prophecies?" Fayt asked.

"Chaos in the holy land. The chaos shall spread catastrophe, and from that catastrophe shall be born a new maelstrom of war. It is our belief that this prophecy is about to come true. And we believe that you are the arrow of which the prophecy speaks." The Aquarian queen walks down from her royal chair to the group. "Our country is now embroiled in a war with Airyglyph. Unless something is done, our innocent citizens shall perish… We beg of you to lend us your strength." She kneels down and holds Fayt's hand.

" Please, Your Majesty—" Fayt said, still a bit surprised of the queen's action. "I don't know what we'll be able to do, but we will do what we can. That is why we came here." The group faced the queen and nodded in agreement.

"We are in your debt."

Magistrate Lasselle claps for a guard. "Guard–" he calls. On the side of the doorway, a guard with armor that appears to be like that of a shogun walks over to the party. "Show the travelers from Greeton to the guest quarters."

"Yes, sir!"

The group left the room and was about to go downstair, until Nel halted the group. "Don't move..." she commanded. "Who goes there? Reveal yourself... slowly."

Out from behind the bushes a familiar face approached them. "Huh? Wait, you're that--" Fayt said in surprise. It was the nervous man from before.

"I've seen you before. You live within our city walls. What're you doing here? Only authorized personnel are allowed in this part of the castle."

"Please, don't be so angry with me," the man said. "Umm... It's a bit embarrassing..."

"Gee, you think so, genius," Cyrus said.

"You see, I came to worship at the Great Temple, but I seem to have gotten lost on the way out. I've been wandering around here for quite some time. I'm sorry. I'll leave right away... Please forgive me."

"Came to worship...?" Nel said, not believing a word he said. Cliff put held his hand on his forehead.

"Yes, that's right. I'll be leaving now." The man quickly hustled out of the scene and left the building.

"I better have someone keep an eye on him. I remember hearing Farleen say she knew someone who was good at that sort of thing. That would be the best person to take care of this."

"Wow," Roger said. "That's just pathetic."

"Kinda reminds you of someone," Cliff said under his breath. Roger turned and gave him a stare, but Cliff wasn't really effected.

"Let's spell it out: P-S-Y-C-H-O!" Cyrus said.

The guard entered the hall and without further to do, they were escorted to the east side of the castle back on the first floor. Nel said that she had stuff to take care of in her room. Two doors down the hall and near the entrance of the castle was the room for the guys. There wasn't much there. It was mostly a desk and two beds with a window that viewed a picturesque scene of the Eastern side of Aquaria. "These are your quarters," the guard said. "You may stroll around the castle as you wish. If you need something, ask the nearest soldier."

"Thanks, pal," Cliff said. The guard left the room and Cliff stretched his arms. "So, what are you gonna do?" asking everyone in the room.

"What do you mean, do?" Fayt asked.

"They said you could walk around the castle if you want to. I think I'm gonna go check out the Chapel."

"The Chapel?" Fayt asked.

"Yeah… Well, I'm an atheist myself, but I'm sorta interested in the art."

"You... interested in art?" Cyrus asked.

"Hey—don't laugh. I'm actually a bit of an artiste myself, although you wouldn't think it to look at me. Mirage said as much."

"She did?" Fayt asked.

"That's right. She said 'you're the kind of guy who decides with his emotions before using his head'… In other words, she thinks I'm an impressionist."

"Sure, an impressionist..." Cyrus sneered.

"I don't think that's what she meant..." Fayt said.

"Yeah, and she also said I'm 'always looking at pretty women,' which I guess was her way of praising my keen sense of aesthetics, don't you think?" Cliff said.

"I wonder..." Fayt said. Cyrus was about to say something, but shook his head with a smile, knowing that it was too easy of an insult.

"Well, anyway, there you have it. Be back in a bit." Cliff left the room and headed to the Chapel.

"'Ight," Cyrus said. "So Rog, what did you say you were going again?"

"Well, since it seems that we've hit the jackpot," Roger said. "I'm going to go around and see if any of the ladies will fall for my charm."

"Charm?" a puzzled Fayt asked.

"Yeah. I'm going to try it out in a place filled with beautiful women."

"Try the library," Cyrus suggested. "It's the northernpath onthis floor, shorty."

"Who are you calling short?" Roger yelped. "I'll have you know I'm regular sized."

"Okay," Fayt said. "Well, I guess we'll you later."

"Yeah," Cyrus said. "And make sure you don't do anything stupid that'll get you tried, or something."

"Ha ha ha!" Roger said in an unamused tone. "Well, later." Roger jumped up to the door and twisted it. He pulled his body weight to open the door and walked out.

"I have to say that was sorta humorous," Fayt said.

"I can't agree more, dog," Cyrus said. "Well, you could do whatever. I'm gonna find some treasure 'round here."

"So that's what you've been doing?"

"That and training. Not just for fitness. I know that I'll confront that Albel dude sooner or later. I want to increase my skills if I have any chance of whooping the braidy chump."

"Don't worry, Cyrus. We're here for you. Albel maybe the best in Airyglyph, but that doesn't mean he could beat us."

"Got that right, homes." Cyrus said. The two shook hands and left the room. Cyrus left the scene to explore the castle. During his search, he found a few thousand fol and a valuable book on Fire Shielding, which would help synthesize a weapon of his choosing to become invincible against the element. _"It seems like that was a good haul, if I do think so myself," _he thought. _"With this money and this Fire Shielding, I could make one of the most powerful weapons, the Laser Weapon invincible against my own element. But that would be expensive. I guess I'll have to save for that investment. Damn. Where's a GameShark when you need one?" _

Cyrus went to a supply room that had one large chest which was opened earlier. He looked around the and saw that there was only a few switches that didn't do anything. _"Perfect. I could train here for a while. I guess I need a good workout." _Cyrus pulled out his sword and started practicing. He also stayed to work on other techniques such as his drunken boxing and other forms of martial arts. He also listened to his radio while working on his break dancing. The experience was tough and it took a good two hours. By the end of his workout he returned his sword to his sheath which was behind his back. He also learned two new moves: the "187" and the "Times Up." "Oh, that was fun," he said as he stretched art his arms. "I guess I should head back. After all that work, I think I should catch a little shuteye."

Cyrus left the supply area and traveled back to the guestroom. When he got there, he saw that Cliff and Fayt were already there. "Yo," Cyrus greeted.

"Hey, so what did you find?" Fayt asked.

"Nothin' really. Just some fol., and a few berries here and there," Cyrus replied. "Well, I guess we should get some rest. How about you Fayt? What have you been up to?"

"I found Cliff at the Chapel after Mirage contacted him."

"Thought as much. What did she say?"

Cliff cleared his throat. "Well, the usual. She said to find a power source for a communicator and asked me to continue protecting you guys. She also said that even though interplanetary transmissions won't work, intercepting communications in an immediate area might."

"Sounds good. What about the war though?"

"I'm afraid it's raging."

"I know you said Sophia and my parents were still alive, but still..." Fayt became silent.

"I know what you mean," Cyrus said. "There's no sure fireway that we'll be intercepting the right channels in the that war, or if we can make the gizmo and use it without getting jumped." The room became quiet. In a few seconds, the door opened and in came Roger. He started panting with his back on the door. "Well, well. Look what the cat dragged in."

"Roger," Fayt asked, "what've you been doing?"

"Nothing really," he replied. "You know, I think I'll take a rest."

"Don't we all?" Cliff asked.

"Hold on," Fayt said.

"What's wrong?" Roger asked.

"There are only two beds and there are four of us."

"I don't know about you guys," Cyrus said, "but I ain't sharing."

"So what do you suggest?" Cliff asked.

"We have no choice but to have a competition. We must split into two groups of for a of two out of three match up. Testing our mind, body and spirit."

"You don't mean–"

"That's right. It's time for another game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. For my challenge, I choose... Roger."

"I guess that means it's just you and me, Cliff."

"Fine, just remember I ain't going easy on you." The competition began.

Cyrus and Roger gave one another scornful stares. They drew out there gambling hands and pounded them in the palm of the other. Rock... Paper... Scissors... BAM! The first win belong to Cyrus, who drew out a rock to counter his scissors. Roger was more intent now while Cyrus gave his trademark smirks. The game resumed as the two pounded faster than they did earlier. Rock... Paper... Scissors... BAM! With paper beating rock, the victor was Roger who did a little victory dance. Now, with only one match to go, they knew that everything rode on this last move. Smirks vanished and were replaced by looks of seriousness. Now that it was the final turn, the competitors pounded their hands faster. Rock... Paper... Scissors... BAM! With a revolutionary two out of three, the winner was... Cyrus with a scissors beating rock strategy. Roger pouted for a minute. Another groan of defeat was heard. They turned their attention to Cliff who was just whooped by Fayt.

"Victory is mine, Cliff!" Fayt said in triumph.

"Oh, come on!" he said.

"Don't tell me I lost with that idiot!" Roger said.

"I'm not sure about idiot," Cyrus quoted, "but I am sure that you two just got served."

"Alright," Cliff said. "Now that we know who sleeps in the beds, where do we sleep?"

Cyrus looked at the table. "I wonder, is that like maple or a kind of oak?"

"You're kidding?" Roger said.

"That, or one of you could sit in that chair," Fayt suggested. Cliff and Roger saw the soft looking chair and ran toward it. By the time they got there, a small fight ensued. In the end, Cliff was the winner and he felt no remorse for the kid who was one-third his size. The defeated Roger scowled at his nemesis and laid on the table.

"Well, now that everything's settled," Cyrus said. "Let's go. I'm bushed." The two swordsmen got in their separate beds. Cyrus set his MP3 Player to start on "What's Happening," by Method Man and Busta Rhymes and set the device on shuffle. In moments, the tired teen was knocked out with the rest of his comrades.

* * *

Author's Note 1: Remember the girl from Part 8.2: Heavy Metal? She's back. This time, she will give you guys more insight in her role. What matters is, will Cyrus be ready for this chick? 

Author's Note 2: The name of this part is also a title to one of my favorite theme of the game's soundtrack and fits nicely.

Author's Note 3: The moves mentioned in the story, "Rocksteady," "Break Beats," "187" and "Times Up" are fighting moves from another game called "Def Jam: Fight for New York." They kinda bring a little more depth to Cyrus' character and if you ever played the game, then you know that it brings a lot of 'Def.'

* * *

Part 11.2: Influence on Truth Appearance

While he was asleep, Cyrus was back in his subconsciousness. He wandered around the strange and colorful space, knowing that there was an important reason for his being here. "Master?" he called, only to here nothing but echoes. "Master Diogo?" Suddenly, laughter was heard throughout the landscape. "Huh? Who's there?"

"Aren't you an interesting form," the voice said calmly. It sounded like a young girl.

"What? Show yourself!"

"Very well." A figure materialized into the scene. It was an attractive girl who seemed to be no older than Cyrus. She was also around the same size as him. She had pale skin, black hair and wore white clothes that were identical to what Cyrus attire. She took light steps toward Cyrus, the two tails of her coat trailing behind. "Are you happy now?"

"Whoa!" Cyrus said surprised. "The style catches on!" The young girl sighed. "Anyways, who are you? Why are you in my head?"

The girl chuckled. "I'm Catalysta. Lystara Catalysta. Who are you?"

"Splicer. Cyrus Splicer. You may know me for such reasons like the fact that you're in my dream."

"It is a pleasure. I have been waiting to see you, Cyrus."

"Why? What business do you have with me?"

"You were able to cross the dimensional barrier, were you? Must have been some ride."

"You know about the flux?"

"Questions, questions. Of course I do." Lystara looked down at his feet and scanned him with blue eyes, slowly climbed up to Cyrus' face until both her eyes met with Cyrus' red eyes. She could see her own reflection as Cyrus could see his. "Heh... We certainlyare alike." Lystara started to walk around Cyrus.

"That depends on one's perspective." He said as his head was following her.

"You see, we are both powerful and unique beings, both in and out combat."

"Really?"

"Yes. I've seen the way you fight. I must admit, it was intriguing."

"You're too kind. Though, I wouldn't be so sure about that, girl."

Lystara stopped in her tracks. "What do you mean, Cyrus?" she asked while turning around slowly.

"You've said that our skills in combat are both powerful and unique. I want to know if your theory holds in true."

"You do, huh?"

"That's right, and since you're in my head, I have the reason to battle. Now let's get this party started."

"After you."

Both combatants pushed the sides of their jackets out of the way of their sheaths and drew out their swords. What caught Cyrus' attention was that her weapon of choice was around the same kind as his. _"She dresses like me and she's wielding the same kindweapon!" _he thought. _"What else does Lystara have up her sleeves?" _The battle began as both warriors ran in to the center and clashed with one another's swords. With gritted teeth, they pushed on each other's swords. In seconds, both were hurled back from the forces of their strength, but landed to their feet. Cyrus charged at Lystara and began to strike with his blade, but each attack was evaded. Lystara ended up behind him and made a downward slash. Fortunately, Cyrus jumped to the left, barely missing the strike. Cyrus recovered and spun with his blade low to the ground, but Lystara somersaulted backward. The match ended in a stalemate. "Okay," Cyrus said in a battle position, "I admit, you're good."

"You're not too bad yourself," she said in a similar battle position.

Suddenly, a familiar voice was heard. "Cyrus," it called.

"Master Diogo?" The two turned around, and sure enough, it was Master Diogo. "It is you."

"Yes, my pupil."

"What is it that you want to discuss with me, sensei?"

"The topic is about who you've battled."

"What do you mean?" Lystara began to snicker. "Wait... You knew that I'm not from this dimension. So that would mean..."

"Yes, that's right. I'm who you were sent to defeat." Cyrus was in shock. "I am the one who was sealed away. Until now that is."

"So you only tested my strength. Get a taste of what was in store for you."

A sinister cackle came from Lystara. "You could say that. But the thing is, you'll never defeat me, boy."

"You wanna bet?"

"You know, I'll give you this chance to submit to my power. I might even be nice enough to transport you back to your space-time. You want to go back, don't you?" Cyrus turned his head and groaned. Two portals appeared on each side of Lystara. One showed Cyrus' Earth. It seems nothing's changed. The other showed Elicoor II, which showed his unconscious body and his comrades asleep. "What will it be? Fight a futile fight, or submit and go home. As they say, it is where the heart is."

"I never backed down from a challenge. My master has told me about your plan. Even though I didn't really accept this job, that doesn't I will allow you to destroy my universe, this universe or any other. In other words LC, you're going down!"

"So be it. For someone with a high IQ, you're not as intelligent as I thought you were. Oh well." A glowing sphere, similar to that of a charging symbological spell appeared in front of Lystara. In moments, a beam of light blue shot out and headed toward Cyrus. He shifted to a defensive posture, raising the sword to brace for impact. Then, something would happen that Cyrus would never forget. His master jumped in the path of the attack and took the hit. Cyrus' face was painted in shock. The attack was over and his teacher's crashed to the ground, smoke sweltering from his body. "I guess that takes care of that," she said with no remorse. "Your teacher may have saved you today, but next time we meet, you won't be as lucky." With that said, Lystara Catalysta walked away and disappeared.

"Noooooooooo!" Cyrus yelled. He bent down and turned his teacher over. "Sensei, sensei. Wake up, sir!"

"My son..."

"Master?"

"You must keep going... You are our only hope..."

"Like I said before, I will not fail." His master smiled and Cyrus gently laid his head down.

"Do not worry about me... my student. I will survive. I won't be able... to contact you, but know that I will... I will be with you in spirit."

"I guess this is good bye, master." Master Diogo closed his eyes and slowly disappeared. With an intent look on his face, Cyrus was more determined than ever. "I have promised to my master and vowed that I am going to stop Catalysta. If you still hear me, I keep my word and you will pay for what you've done. I swear on it."

Cyrus ran to the exit where he woke up. "Whoa!" he said as he awoke. It was still night and everyone else was sleeping. He exhaled heavily. "What a nightmare. Man, I hope myworld is okay..."

* * *

Part 11.3: Top Gun

The next morning, the group was wide awake. Cyrus, who was sitting on his bed, still couldn't believe that the guidance of his master was gone. But he knew there was no time to weep about it. He had a job to do. Fayt during a conversation with Cliff and Roger was checking up on his helmet. Not that it needs a check seeing that it's already in bad shape. Then, Nel's voice was heard on the other side of the door as she said, "I'm coming in." She opened the door and came in the room.

"Mornin'." Cliff greeted.

"Good morning," Fayt said.

"Good morning," Nel replied. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, thanks."

"Today we're going to the Runological Weapon Research Facility."

"Ohhh, is that where they're making that weapon?" Cliff asked.

"Yes… It's time—Time for you to lend us your knowledge."

"Well, knowledge is power," Cyrus said in his low tone.

"Sure, but until we actually see it, we can't make any promises," Fayt said.

"Of course. First, I want you to meet the person in charge. Her lab is on the west side of the castle… Shall we then?"

"Let's get to it!" Roger said. Everybody turned around to see a smile on the boy's face as his three foot tall form stood on the table.

"Do you think this is a good idea for him to come?" Cliff whispered to Cyrus.

"I do have my doubts," he said, "but he has to come as well. It wouldn't be right to leave him here. Besides, he would prove some sorta use if he's more involved."

"I guess."

Cyrus walked over to Roger and sat on a chair. "Yo Rog. Listen, the stuff you are about to see is top secret and real important to Aquaria. If you're coming with us, than you need to show us you're a real man."

"A real man?" Roger said. "I'll have you know that I've won the 'Real Man Contest' over two hundred times. You're talking to Roger S. Huxley, man among men."

"That's what I'm talkin' about, man."

Roger jumped off the desk and opened the door. "After you, m'lady." Nel walked out the door, followed by the rest of the group, with Roger not far behind. The group went upstairs to the second floor and took the west wing. They went down the hall and stopped at the door at the end of the hall. "This is it." Nel knocks on the door and says, "It's me. I've brought the engineers."

"Please, come in," a woman's voice invited. The group entered the room. The place was pretty much in disarray. Books were everywhere and papers were scattered. Behind the junky desk, a young woman sat down in her chair.

"That's Lady Elena, head of Aquaria's First Runological Weapon Development Division," Nel said. "Lady Elena, these are the two engineers from my report."

Elena stood up from her chair and walked over to the group. She wore a dark drag with the hood over her head. "I'm Elena Frahm, leader of Runological Weapon Development," she greeted and bowed.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Fayt Leingod."

"Howdy, Cliff Fittir."

"Wassup, the name's Cyrus Splicer."

"Hello ma'am, I'm Roger S. Huxley."

"A pleasure to meet you." Elena turned to Nel, a little surprised about the group. "I…have to admit, they're much younger than I expected."

"Yet they are knowledgeable," Nel replied.

"I read the report. I do not doubt your information. It looks like we have no choice but to rely on that knowledge. We still haven't been able to analyze that metal fragment…"

Suddenly, a knock was heard at the door. "Did you call for me, Lady Elena?" asked a young man outside a door.

"Yes, Dion. Come in."

A young man entered the room. He wore the standard lavender drag, a hair style that was short and dark blue and he wore a pair of reading glasses. He walked over and stood next to Lady Elena. "Is this them?" he asked.

"Yes… The big one is Cliff, the small one, Fayt and the smaller one, Cyrus." She turns to Fayt, Cyrus and Cliff, saying, "This is my right-hand man, Dion Landers, Chief Researcher of Runological Weapon Development."

"I'm Dion. Pleased to meet you. I hear you are men of learning. We're hoping you can impart some of your wisdom upon us."

"We would be honored to," Cyrus said, respectfully bowing after words.

"I don't mean to rush you, but would you take a look at the runological weapon we're working on? A number of structural issues have been troubling us."

"Sure, no problem," Fayt said.

"Dion, can you show them the way, please? I can't leave my desk right now."

"Absolutely. Please, this way…" Dion and the group walked to a door, but stopped by his curiosity. "I must admit, I am surprised. I'd thought you would be a bit older."

"I'm impressed that you're Chief Researcher at such a young age," Fayt said.

"Well, I'm still an apprentice compared to Lady Elena."

"Dion?" called the voice of a hasty Lady Elena. "Stop jabbering there. Hurry up and show them."

"Ah, yes Lady Elena. Please forgive me!" Dion said and quickly bowed. "Ah, she's mad at me now. Let's go. This way, please," he whispered to the group. Dion opened the door to the next room and they went inside.

"This is the runological weapon research lab, where we do the basic design work for new weapons. The weapon we'd like you to take a look at is in the fabrication room."

The group followed Dion down a ladder that housed the weapon. "This is what I wanted you to take a look at," he said. The armament was massive. It looked almost like a strange eighteenth century cannon only larger. Fayt and Cyrus began to inspect the technology.

"Wow!" Roger exclaimed. "So this is the weapon? Neat."

"So what's the matter with this thing?" Cliff asked.

"The device itself is basically complete, but it lacks the punch we need for it to work as a weapon…" Dion said. "But if we increase the output, we run into durability problems…"

"I see..."

"_I know that a destructive tool like this is far too advanced for a civilization like them," _Cyrus thought. _"I wonder how they could build such a thing. I'm pretty sure that not even those Battle Mechs like the one I saw in Surferio were this far ahead."_

Dion came toward them to see what progress the two made. "What do you think?" he asked. "You see the problem? If you have any questions, I'll try to answer them."

"None that come to mind," Cyrus said. "Fayt, what about you?"

"No, I don't have any questions, but… I'm sorry. Can we take a look at it a little longer?

"Sure, no problem at all," Dion replied. "Take as long as you need."

"Thank you."

"Hey, c'mere," Cliff said to the two boys.

"What is it?" Fayt asked.

"I'm no expert, but, uhh…doesn't this smell a little fishy to you…?"

"I don't think 'a little fishy' is the term I'd use," Cyrus said.

"Yeah… It's definitely too advanced," Fayt replied. "This sort of thing shouldn't even exist on a planet at their stage of development."

"Even with symbology," Cyrus said, "They should be throwing daggers and start making up folk tales. Now, you got an oversized cannon and remnants of a robot fleet. If this keeps up, I'm sure they'll be driving Convertibles in the eighteenth century!"

"Let's not go too far, Cyrus, though you could be right. With their progress in advancing this civilization, they might be able to create technologies that predates kinds similar to Earth's."

"Next thing you know, Gangsta Rap will be competing with Opera houses..." Everyone became silent.

"So, you gonna help them?" Cliff asked Fayt.

"I'm not sure. What do you guys think?"

"Me?" Cliff said. "Well, if we finish it, lots a people are going to die. Question is: are we okay with that? I mean, I don't like doing something that I can't take responsibility for myself. It'd be different if I were the one making the decision to fire, but…the idea of some other guy who ain't me deciding what to do with a weapon I created…that kinda bugs me."

"Yes," Cyrus said. "Plus, we're making our own upgrades to this weapon. The effects may be shocking in the eyes of the opposing team, but in a way, we're doing something to save both sides. Though it may be pain, that don't mean I'm okay with someone besides myself using a contraption as serious as this. In someone else's point of view, we're getting blood on our own hands vicariously through the guy with the switch. As they say: with great gifts, comes great responsibility."

"You two do have a point. This country, with its symbological technology, might be able to complete this weapon eventually even if we don't help them. Maybe."

"Yeah… Maybe. Anyway, like I said before: you make the call."

Fayt starts thinking about what he should. The room became silent as the eager ears of Cliff, Nel and Dion awaited his decision. Cyrus began to sweat during the suspense. _"Oh shizz," _he thought. _"I hope that Fayt doesn't say no. The last thing I need is for the whole storyline to go outta whack because of my presence. Please homes, say yes."_

"I'll help them."

"Alright, Fayt," Cyrus cheered.

"What about your beloved UP3, huh?" Cliff asked.

"I know this weapon might cause great suffering—but, on the other hand, think of the suffering it can prevent."

"Yeah," Cyrus said. "Screw the law, fight the power! Er... I mean... In this particular case."

"Okay—So what do you want me to do?" Cliff asked.

"Huh? But I thought you didn't—"

"Who said I wouldn't help you? You've prepared yourself for the consequences, so as your bodyguard, I'd best do the same."

"Don't forget me and Rog," Cyrus said. "You guys need all the help you can get. After all, we're a team."

"Besides," Roger stated, "what would you guys do without me, huh?" Cyrus shook his head lightly from Roger's comment, eyes turned up.

"Thanks," Fayt said. "Mr. Landers!"

"Just call me Dion. What is it?"

"Dion, can I see the blueprint for this weapon?"

"Sure, no problem. Come on over to the lab."

"Alright!" Cyrus said. "Time to soup this baby up!"

Dion, who was confused by Cyrus' out burst, turned around. "I'm sorry, but there is no soup and this area is clearly devoid of small children."

"No, no. That's not what I meant, Dion sir," Cyrus quickly explained while scratching his head. "It's a saying which means to insert a new feature to a technological model."

"Oh, is that correct? Well, let's go and 'soup this baby' as you say." Cyrus nodded and, along with his comrades, followed Dion up the ladder to the runological weapon research lab. "This is it."

"Thank you. Can I also have some paper and something to write with, please?"

"Sure, use this."

Fayt looks over the blueprint sheet that was laid across a desk. "Dion, what kind of wire are you using to conduct the runological power?"

"Iron wire, why?"

"Iron… Okay, that explains why the wire can't take the heat when you increase the output…"

"Yes, that's our biggest problem."

"When you increase the power, it breaks," Cliff said. "And when you decrease the power, you can't use it as a weapon, that it?"

"Shizznit! Talk about a major issue," Cyrus said.

"Superconducting aluminum would easily solve this problem, but…that's not an option here," Fayt said.

"Superconducting aluminum?" Dion asked.

"Um, never mind. Just talking to myself. Dion, have you tried copper?"

"No, well, I know that copper would probably solve the overheating issue, but…"

"Is there a problem?" Cliff asked.

"We can't obtain enough copper to complete this device," Dion said.

"You don't have any mines?" Fayt asked.

"No, there's a mine, it's just..."

"Wild dragons have taken residence there," Nel replied.

"Even one dragon would be a terrible enemy, so there's no way we could ever enter a whole nest of them. And mining is out of the question…"

"Dragons," Cliff said. "Well that explains it."

"Talk about your resident evil," Cyrus said. "There's nothing worse than flying lizards with combustible gas."

"The mine in question is in Airyglyph territory, and is under the jurisdiction of the Dragon Brigade," Nel said.

"The Dragon Brigade..." Fayt said to himself.

"Even if we were successful in obtaining the copper, there's no guarantee that we'd be able to make it back here safely…" Dion said.

"So you see the problem."

"You average guy doesn't stand a chance against wild dragons and the Dragon Brigade," Cliff said with his arms folded.

"So what do you suggest? We just go up to them politely and ask if we can have some of their metal?" Cyrus asked sarcastically. "Oh yeah, I'm sure they'll just hand it over."

"Hmm, Cyrus does have a point…" Fayt said. "It seems we have a real problem here. But copper's really our best bet… What should we do?"

"What are you talking about?" Cliff asked. "All we have to do is go and get it."

"Can we?"

"Of course we can. Do I look like an 'average guy' to you? I got no problem with dragons. No problem at all."

"I sure appreciate your groundless self-confidence in situations like this…"

"Groundless? You're pretty rude, you know that? Don't you think it's about time you admitted how tough I am?"

"It's not that I don't admit it. I just think you're a little overconfident, that's all."

"Whatever."

"Yo Fayt," Cyrus interceded, "It's not groundless overconfidence, it's called keeping it real." _"Unfortunately," _he thought, _"there are times when keeping it real goes wrong. That's what I learned from the Chappelle's Show!"_

"You can't be seriously considering going, just the two of you?" Dion yelped in disbelief.

"What are you talking about?" Nel asked. "It won't just be the two of them. I'm going too!"

"You too? It's still insane!"

"Don't worry. They may be engineers, but they really can fight. They've already proven themselves against the Black Brigade."

"Maybe so, but still..."

"Hmm… But we won't be able to carry all that copper by ourselves. We'll need to bring several people with us just to transport it. How much do we need?"

"Several dozen kilos, I'd say," Fayt said.

"All right, no problem. My subordinates should be able to handle that much by themselves. We'll take Tynave and Farleen."

"You insist on going, don't you. Well, all right, but don't take any unnecessary risks."

"I know. I swear, you're just like Clair. Always worried!"

"And Dion, take this," Fayt said. He handed back the notepad and paper.

"What's this?" Dion asked.

"I glanced over your blueprint and jotted down a number of problem areas and possible solutions. You can deal with these while we're out getting the copper."

Dion scanned the notes Fayt took and was intrigued by the results. "Of course! Yes! Yes, I see! This should be a dramatic improvement."

"It's really nothing."

"All right, get to work, Dion," Nel said.

"Yes, ma'am. …And please, be careful."

"I'll go gather my team. Let's meet up at the entrance to Aquios once you're ready."

"Yahoo!" Roger yelled.

"Huh? So there you were," Cliff said sarcastically.

"Shut up, lumox."

"I liked it better when you were quiet." Nel, Fayt and Cyrus sighed. Now they had to deal with the unstoppable loud mouth duo.

By the time they left the castle, Fayt and Cyrus quickly left Nel with the two "children" to pick up some supplies. Cyrus shopped at the stores on the west side of town. Here, he picked up a new Long Dagger for Nel, a Fine Gauntlet for Cliff and a neat Battle Ax to replace Roger's unreliable relic (in one fight when they were coming to Aquios, the ax's head fell off. Then again, the name of his weapon was the "Rusty Ax," not the "Mighty Ax"). Cyrus also went to the outfitter where he bought plenty of Basil (seeing that most of the dragons and other kinds of monsters would paralyze them) and some Sage (for the boss, of course). When all was done, he went back to the group and saw that they were ready to leave. "Here we are. Are you ready?" Nel asked.

"You know it," Cyrus said. "Now let's bag us some CU."

"All right then, let's go." With that said, they left the city to trek back to Arias.

* * *


	13. Chapter 12

1

Author's Note 1: Warning! Some drug references are in this chapter. Also the start of some Roger bashing! Reader's discretion is advised. Other than that, there's nothing much.

Part 12.1: Operation: Copper Retriever

In a few hours from the glittering city of Aquios, Nel, Cyrus, Fayt, Roger and Cliff had returned to the war-torn village of Arias. The group split up at to find Clair. During their search, a fervent man came up to Cyrus and said, "Leave the village's defense to me. You must get to Aquios as soon as you can and help build a new weapon that will change the tide of the war."

"I'll do what I can, sir," Cyrus said. "But the war can't be won by a weapon alone, no matter how powerful it may be. Don't forget that ultimately, it's the ability of common soldiers like you that really matters."

"Ho ho ho... Well said!" the man exclaimed. "Some people focus only on impressive things such as runology and dragons, but in the end it's the efforts of we common soldiers that really matter."

"That's right. The best my comrades and I hope to do is give your kingdom a little more leeway in fighting this war."

"I understand. We shall do what we can. And we'll do it as best we can. That means you can't fail to do your part, too. After all, we're gonna need all the leeway we can get!"

"Don't worry, like I just said, we got you covered." With that being said, the fervent man gave a salute to Cyrus. Cyrus returned the gesture by bowing down.

Afterwards, Roger came to report to him. "Hey Cyrus," he said.

"Rog, what's up?"

"Everyone's waiting for you near entrance to the mountains."

"Thanks for the heads up. Let's go." The two young "men" hurried up toward the northwest entrance where they met up with their companions.

"There you are," Nel said. "What took you?"

"Oh, the soldier. I tell you, he's a pretty loyal man that takes his work seriously."

They walked up the hill and saw Clair, Tynave and Farleen waiting at the gate with a wagon set up. "There you are, Nel," Clair said.

"Hello, Clair," Nel said.

"The wagon is ready!" Farleen reported. "We can leave whenever you want."

"Everything that we might need is already on board," Tynave added.

"Nice work," Nel replied.

"Here," Clair said as she handed Nel a small sack with contents inside it.

"What's this?" she asked as she received the item.

"It's a talisman. You are heading into a den of dragons, after all. Better safe than sorry, right?" There was a brief pause. "Be careful."

"I will."

"Fayt, Cliff, Cyrus, I expect to see you again soon."

"You can count on us," Cliff said. "We'll take care of Nel."

"We'll get you that copper; don't worry," Fayt said.

"Exactly. Them oversized winged lizards got nothin' on us," Cyrus said.

"You know miss," Roger said, "I could stay here with you if you want."

"C'mon Rog," Cyrus said. "I thought you were a 'real man?'"

"I am! I was just concerned." Cyrus shook his head with folded arms and a brim over his face to show the embarrassment for Roger and what the little Menodix tried to do.

"May good fortune in battle smile upon you," Clair said. With that said, the group went inside the wagon. Farleen, who was driver, took hold of the reins of the lum and they left for the Bequerel Mountain Path. Clair stood at the entrance, hoping to see her comrades again.

By the time the group got to the entrance to the mine, the made a heinous discovery. Two soldiers from the Dragon Brigade guarded the passageway. The wagon was forced to hide behind a mountain. "Oh great, if it isn't the Panzer Dragoon wannabees," Cyrus said.

"Just our luck," Nel said. "What's the Dragon Brigade doing here? This is not where they're usually stationed."

"Well, it looks like we'll have to take 'em on," Cliff said. "They're blocking our way into the mines."

"They're probably here after air dragons to beef up their army," Fayt figured.

"Yes, it's likely you're right," Nel said. "Tynave…"

"Yes?"

"You two wait here. We'll take care of them."

"Yes, ma'am," said both Tynave and Farleen in unison.

"Cliff, Nel, Roger, Cyrus, let's go!"

As the crew ran over to confront the Dragon Brigade soldiers, one of the enemies spotted them rushing toward them. "Who are you?" asked the other soldier.

"I'm Lapis... uh Lapis Lazuli," Cyrus said. "My companions and I were wondering if you would kindly let us through." His comrades shocked faces in the background. Back in Aquios, the group didn't know he was seriously going to ask the enemy for clearance. Boy were they surprised.

"Wait..." said the soldier that first spotted them. "You're those prisoners that escaped from the dungeon! And you're the Crimson Blade spy that help in their departure!"

"What about me?" Roger yelped.

"What about you?" the other soldier asked flatly.

"Whoops..." was the only response from Cyrus.

"Busted," Cliff said.

"So, what's you're plan now?" Fayt asked sarcastically.

"Since Plan A was just slaughtered," Cyrus explained, "let's proceed with Plan B."

"Which is..." Nel said.

"Bring on the pain to these douche bags. After all, actions always spoke louder than words." Cyrus tightened the grip of his sword. "A lot louder."

"Now you're talking!" Roger shouted. The battle started as both Legion Dragons swooped down at the team, but missed as everyone dodged from their attack. Nel, Cyrus and Fayt ganged up on one of the dragons. Fayt struck underhandedly which caused the dragon to be hurled into the air. Fayt then juggled the airborne reptile again, this time with a back flip. It was then Nel and Cyrus' turn as they launched themselves into the sky and somersaulted to their opponent. The overall damage was major and the dragon slammed to the ground with a loud THUD! Amazingly, the dragon picked itself up, but did something that Cyrus didn't expect. Instead of lifting its massive form in the air, the beast stayed on the ground, wings folded, and began to attack. The rider used his large lance and began attacking its opponents on the side of the beast, which were Fayt and Nel. The dragon itself was focused on Cyrus by lunging at him with its its sharp toothed mouth or using its Searing Fire Breath. Cyrus defended himself by either blocking the attacks with his sword or by dodging. Cyrus back flipped a couple of feet from the creature's range and charged up his Blazing Sword technique. Nel jumped up and catapulted herself at the rider and Fayt began to slash at the dragon, overwhelming both enemies. In seconds, the blade was lit and Cyrus charged at the Legion Dragon, screaming at the top of his lungs. The dragon lifted itself from the ground and flew directly at its would be target. Both the shizznit and the aerial reptile had met. Cyrus slashed the creature on its left flank while the dragon had its sharp talons drawn out. Cyrus and the dragon kept going their parallel paths for ten feet until Cyrus halted with his burning sword sticking out. The dragon also stopped, but not as successful. It suffered from the slash made by the weapon and crashed to the ground. Unable to move, it was now clear. The victor was Cyrus, Fayt and Nel.

Cliff and Roger dealt with the second soldier and his Legion Dragon that created a wall of flames with its Searing Fire Breath. Luckily, the obnoxious duo were able to leap out of the fire breathing beast's attack. Then the dragon and its rider performed their Master Combo. Here, the beast swooped down on Cliff and launched back into the air with its victim falling. The punishment continued when the knight slashed with his large lance. Cliff suffered from the attack as he slammed to the ground. Roger retaliated with his Whirling Heat. He pulled out an electromagnetic rope and lashed it at the dragon. On contact, the rope caused the dragon to spin. When it stopped revolving, the dragon was dazed and confused, unable to fly steadily. As an extra bonus, the rider was also swirly eyed. Cliff picked himself up and when he saw the reptile flying all over the place and the knight still unfocused (and perhaps ready to barf), he saw this as a chance for redemption. He ran to the dragon and unleashed his large energy ball called Sphere of Might, which delivered a considerable amount of damage. Roger also brung on the pain by using his Fiery Ax. He lit up his ax to a high temperature, ran jumped high into the air and slammed down at the creature. The impact caused a small explosion that juggled the dragon up in the air and added more damage and also resulted to its downfall as well. The battle was over.

"Oh yeah!" Cyrus said.

"Excellent work, gentlemen," Roger said. "And you m'Lady, you're techniques are flawless. Maybe, you could give me some lessons."

Nel had an embarrassed look on his face. "Nice try Romeo," Cyrus said as he pull Roger back by the tail, "but not nice enough."

Suddenly, another Dragon Brigade knight appeared from over the mountain and saw his fallen comrades on the ground. The group looked up and saw the enemy. "You're next," Cliff said.

"Any last words?" Nel asked.

The rider growled deeply. "You won't get away with this!" threatened the knight. He flew high into the sky and headed West, back to Airyglyph Castle.

"Pathetic ass coward," Cyrus yelled.

Cliff showed a thumbs down sign. "Damn," he said "there he goes."

"I'm sure he'll be back…with reinforcements," Nel warned. "We shouldn't have let him escape."

"Then we better hurry," Fayt advised.

"Right. Tynave, Farleen!"

"Right here!" Farleen said.

"Yes!" Tynave said.

"We're gonna clear a path through the dragons. You two follow a little ways behind us."

"Okay," Tynave said.

"Please be careful," Farleen said.

"You can count on that," Cyrus said.

"You, drive the wagon," Nel instructed the driver.

"Yes, m'Lady!"

"Let's go."

"Okay." Fayt said.

"You know, maybe I should go with them," Roger suggested. "You know, to make sure they're alright." Just as he was about to leave, Cliff pulled Roger back by the tail. "Hey! Let me go, ya big lummox!"

"You really don't understand women, don't you."

"I understand them more than you do, dummy."

"Yeah right, small fry."

"Yo Romeo, Casanova!" Cyrus called with his arms folded. Cliff and Roger turned their attention to him, Fayt and Nel as they stood at the entrance. Roger was still being held upside-down by Cliff. "Hate to interrupt, but we got a schedule to keep," he said while taping his watch.

"Well what are we standing around here for?" Cliff said as he dropped Roger and walked over. Roger was on the ground; face in the dirt and his back bent with his tail laying on his helmet.

The group walked into the cave, leaving Roger who quickly kicked back up to see his comrades abandoning him. "Hey! Wait for me, guys!" he yelled as he rushed in after them.

The party entered the mine. Inside the group could hardly see where they were going. "It's pretty dark in here..." Fayt said.

Cliff looks around the path. He spotted a small torch on the rocky wall that was still burning. "I wonder if that torch over there will…?" He check the torch by putting using a flint and scraping it with a rock. Sparks from the chipping of the rock set the wood on fire. "Hey it lit. Looks like we'll have to light them as we go along."

"Heh, it don't really matter to me," Cyrus replied.

"What do you mean?" Roger said.

"Don't you remember? I have the powers of darkness and flames. My vision isn't really affected, no matter how dim it may be. Besides, if it's too dark, I'm my own match." Cyrus pulled up his index finger and a small flame sat at the tip. "Don't roll your eyes at me, Rog." Roger froze in surprise to Cyrus' order even though he was behind him and out of his view..

"Right," Cliff said still not believing him.

"I guess."

Nel shrugged. "Alright, how about we find the copper and get out of here."

"I'm right ahead of ya," Cyrus said as he took the right path with his comrades not far behind. By the end of the route, the group was stopped by a barred gate. "Oh man. How do we keep goin'?"

Roger looked around and saw a switch. "Hey guys, over here!" he called. The group walked over to see what the commotion was about. Cliff saw another torch that was still in embers. He took his flint and chiseled away. As soon as the torch lit, a small switch was shown. "I think this opens that," Roger said as he pointed to the gate.

"We won't know unless we try," Nel said. She went over to the switch and the bars lowered. As they opened, two large, strange creatures entered the group's mist. Both looked like dinosaurs with wings on their backs.

"M'lady," Roger began asking, "are those dragons?"

"I'm afraid so."

Cyrus scoffed. "Dragons? Those aren't dragons! They're a couple Ornitholestes with wings... on steroids!"

"Ornitho- what whats?" Cliff asked.

"I'll school you later. Right now, I think it's time for some Brass Dragon ass whoopin'!"

The group charged into battle to take on the two lizards. The dragons didn't put up much of a fight. They breathed gas that caused a small amount of gas that paralyzed Roger and Cliff a few times. Luckily, they didn't stay paralyzed for long seeing that Cyrus bought some Basil earlier. In moments, the battle ended.

"Well," Roger began saying, "that wasn't too hard."

"Yeah," Cyrus said. "It would've been longer if I didn't bring the herb with us." Cyrus held up a stalk of Basil and put it back in the supply bag.

Fayt noticed a small, Lightstone that laid on the ground. "Hey you guys," he called. The group walked over to see what Fayt found.

"What do you have there?" Nel asked.

Fayt held up the luminescent stone as it glowed with a bright light. "I bet I could use this to light our way. That would make it much easier to explore."

"Sounds like a plan," Roger said.

"Hate to rush," Cliff interrupted, "but need to make tracks."

"Right," Fayt said. Fayt wore the glowing rock on his belt and led the rest of the group through the passageway. There were a few torches that were still lit, but not enough, the path was still pretty dark, but nonetheless, they had to proceed. It wasn't long until they made it to a fork in the road. That's when it happened. A loud roar echoed through the cave followed by more. Everyone looked around the cave and saw nothing yet.

"I don't wanna get attacked in the dark," Roger said.

"We need some light to check for enemies." Fayt enquired.

"I know just what to do," Cyrus said. "Fayt give me the stone." Fayt handed the Lightstone to Cyrus. Holding the stone in his hands, Cyrus concentrated on the rock and shrouded it in darkness. The footsteps of something non human was heard.

"Whatever you're doing," Roger said, "hurry up!" In a matter of seconds, Cyrus' eyed opened widely and the darkness disappeared, and a huge ray of light filled the cave. What the light revealed were six Brass Dragons on all three paths, two on each side. They were temporarily blinded, but as the light dimmed a bit, the dragons's vision returned and the dragons began hissing at their intruders.

"Oh man," Cliff said. "We're surrounded."

"Gee, ya think?" Roger asked sarcastically.

"How do we get out of this mess?" Fayt asked.

Cyrus began counting the creatures. "Okay, there are five of us, and six of them. Nel and Fayt, you take the two on the west path. Roger and Cliff, you take the two in back. The guys in front are mine."

"Let's go!" Nel said.

The group separated and attacked their assigned opponents. Cyrus rushed at the two dragons in front of him, jumping on one back to the other. One of the dragons used its long tail as a whip, delivering considerable damage to Cyrus as he skid back from the blow. Another started to use its horn, but Cyrus dodged the attack by a few inches. He launched himself up in the air, and with his sword in front of his body, hurled himself at the dragon that just attacked, spinning like a sharp edged disk. The attack gave the dragon a nasty amount of damage. Suddenly, Cyrus' blade was glowing red and blue. He knew that a new move was ready to be unlocked. He unleashed his energy, and in the palm of his hand, a ball of darkness appeared. "Darkness Blade!" he hollered as he added the dark energy to his sword. Cyrus ran to the dragons, slashing one and kicking another in the face. Both dragons used their paralyzing gas, but the attacks missed when Cyrus jumped in the air, landed in between them and slashed them both when he spun around with his blade. Both dragons fell but pushed themselves back up to their feet. One of the dragons again breathed gas, but Cyrus held his coat to his face, keeping him from inhaling the fumes. He was covered in the gas and the dragons slowly crept toward him, ready to finish him off, but they were in for a surprise. Like a missile fired from a bazooka going at high speeds, Cyrus charged out of the mass of gas and, with the dark power emanating from his sword, delivered the finishing blow to both of the large, bipedal reptiles. Cyrus' fight was over and the dragons quickly rushed away as quickly as possible. When he looked around, he saw that everyone else had finished their opponents as well. The last dragon pack picked themselves up and, with a few snarls, made a hasty retreat.

"Phew... Seems they're gone," Fayt said.

"Yeah, I guess they knew better than to mess with OGC and his crew," Cyrus said as he pulled his coat collar in pride. The group looked at him with whimsical stares and Cyrus noticed their bewilderment. "Sorry, couldn't help it."

"'OGC?'" Nel asked in confusion.

"We'll get back to that later," Cyrus quickly said. "Alright everyone! Let's move out!"

"One problem," Cliff said. "Where to?"

Cyrus looked at each path carefully. Then he remembered where he saw the last gate. "Yo Fayt," he said.

"Yeah."

"I think the left fork is where we should go. It seems like that route curves a bit, meaning it's a shorter path. Plus there's a few more torches"

"That may be so. If we take the other path, we would be facing more Brass Dragons or whatever else in this cave."

"Yeah. To tell you the truth, it won't really bother me, but you heard Nel, we shouldn't cause any unnecessary battles. "

"Alright. Everybody, this way." Fayt led the group down the route while Cyrus stood to see if everyone was accounted for. He saw that everyone, including the wagon group (consisting of Tynave, Farleen and the wagon driver) were alright. With that in mind, Cyrus quickly rushed back to the front. Deeper in the cave they went, lighting up torches as they went. They stopped when they saw a small panel next to a passageway written in strange font. "Are these some sort of characters?" Fayt asked. "What language is it?"

"It's known as Dragon Runes. It's the ancient tongue of dragons," Nel said. "It reads... 'Weave the two into a single line of darkness.'"

"What cryptic words." Cliff said.

"Okay," Roger said. "Being able to fly is one thing, but writing words?"

"It's rare," Nel said. "Only a few individuals of certain ages are able to do so."

"So let me get this straight," Cyrus said. "By the time they're what... three hundred years, they start going to kindergarten? I find that hard to believable."

"Yeah, but the proof is right in front of us, Cyrus," Fayt said.

"I guess, but I still ain't buying." The group began moving into the next area. "Then again, the lizards in my yard don't breathe gas or fly either unless some guy's called Dr. Chiba."

Inside the large room, there stood to tall torches a few feet apart. "Cyrus, care to do the honors?" Cliff asked.

"Gladly," he responed with his sword's blade risen up and a small flame that set on the tip. He walked over to both torches and lit them. On each side, Cyrus saw his double shadow. "Now I would like a volunteer from the audience to help assist me.

"Oh, me, me, me!" Roger yelped frantically. "Oh pleeeease, Cyrus!" he whined.

"How about... You, the woman in the light armor." Nel walked over to Cyrus.

"Oh, that's okay. I guess the lady deserves the honor than any of you two," Roger said.

"Or you, for that matter," Cliff sneered.

"Watch it, you dult!" Roger snapped. Fayt shook his head lightly out of embarrassment for the both of them.

"Hey kids, over here," Cyrus said waving for attention. "Now for a magic trick. I will have my assistant cause that door over there to open," he said pointing to the door covered with a dragon carving. "Now Nel, please step to the left." Nel stepped lightly to her left side. "No my left." She changed her direction. "Now move up toward us a few feet." Nel took two steps forward. "A little more..." Nel continued. "Alright stop." Suddenly, a door right behind Nel slowly opened. "Ta da! The single line of darkness."

"Come on you guys!" Roger rushed. "Follow me!" he said running west. The rest of the group followed the eager young Menodix out the room. The group followed the long trail through the cave with Cyrus listening to "Thuggish Ruggish Bone," by Bone Thugs N' Harmony. It was a long trail that had them ending up North once more to a new room. In the room, the group saw another Brass Dragon in their path. Not too surprising, but when they saw what was on it's horn, they knew there was something different about it.

"Are those what I think they are?" Cliff asked, fixated on the item on the horn.

"They look like keys to some kinda door," Cyrus said. The reptile was trying to take the keys off the horn, but to no avail. Then it noticed the group and stared at them.

"So what do we do?" Cyrus asked.

"Do you have to ask?" Roger questioned with a cocky attitude. "Come on, already." Roger hastily ran toward the reptile.

"Roger wait!" Cyrus said in an attempt to stop him, but the eager young boy was focused on the dragon.

The reptile broke into a stride, but as it turned around, Roger grabbed its tail. Unfortunately, his strength wasn't enough to slow the beast down and the child was being whipped around, holding on to the tip, screaming for dear life. "Help me!" Roger yelped. "Get me off of this thing!"

The rest of the group was pretty embarrassed with seeing their "comrade" in the predicament he was in. In some way, they were also feeling sorry for the Brass Dragon as it bucked around trying to both take the keys off its horn and thrashing around to take the kid off its tail. "Well you gotta admit," Cyrus stated, "you won't see this everyday."

"He has a point," Cliff said.

"Do you think we should help him?" Fayt asked Nel.

"It seems we have no choice," Nel replied reluctantly. "If there's an area closed off by some kind of door like the one we saw earlier, we'll need those keys."

"So I guess saving him is just an unwanted bonus," Cliff said.

"I'll show you... unwanted bonus." Nel sighed while Cyrus had his hand on his forehead and Fayt having shaking his head. Just then, a roar echoed throughout the cave. In a few seconds, another Brass Dragon appeared around a bend and spotted its comrade bucking in distress. It hissed loudly at the trespassers, sharp teeth blaring with strings of spit attached to both jaws when it opened its mouth. The monsters sharp claws were sharpened and its tail was stiffened. This creature was ready to defend its territory and aid its companion.

"It looks like our friend invited an unwanted guest," Nel said.

"That's fine," Cyrus said. "This shindig is for any party animal." The dragon charged at the group with full speed.

"I get ya, now," Cliff said. "What's a little party without... punch!" As soon as he said that, Cliff fist made impact under the dragon's lower jaw, sending the creature flying backward. In no time, Fayt rushed in to help Cliff defeat the monster while Nel and Cyrus started to rescue Roger. The dragon was moving all over the place, roaring in agony while jumping and kicking. Roger was yelling at the top of his lungs and holding his grip on the dragons tail. Cyrus used his new attack called the 187. He jumped up and kicked the dragon in the head with both legs and then flipped vertically, grabbing it's neck and slamming it down. After the chaos, Cyrus back flipped from the creature and back flipped again to show a fighting stance. As the dragon landed hard on the ground, Roger to had slammed on the hard terra firma as well. Still on the end of the dragon's tail, he was swirly eyed from the impact. Other than that, he was fine. Knowing that the dragon was down, Roger shook his head and ran from the grounded beast. After Roger was out of distance, the Brass Dragon got back up and roared ferociously at Cyrus. It was so pissed that it forgot the key ring jingling on its horn. The dragon rushed at Cyrus as he clenched his grip, but the reptile was stopped in its tracks by one direct swipe from Nel's daggers. The dragon turned its attention toward her and whipped the Crimson Blade spy away with its tail, but Nel ducked under it and jumped up while spinning around. Each spin she made caused damage to the creature. After she spun, while she still was in the air, she kicked the dragon right on the side of its head. The dragon was flung quite a distance from her. Cyrus ran to Nel's side and they both charged up their symbology. As they dragon got back on its two legs, it saw the their hands glowing. It quickly ran at its opponents, but as it lunged, Nel unleashed Ice Needles as Cyrus launched Fire Bolt. The dragon screamed in pain and slammed hard to the ground, KO'd. The key ring hanging by the tip of the defeated monster's horn. Cyrus crept to the creature's body and slowly took the keys off. Cliff and Fayt ran over as soon as their battle ended.

"Score!" Cyrus said casually as he spun the keys around his finger.

"That's good," Cliff said.

"What about Roger?" Fayt asked.

"Over there," Nel said.

Roger sat on the ground, worn out from his experience with the bipedal reptile. Roger came over to the group, panting heavily. "Are you okay?" Fayt asked.

"Well besides being shaken around like a rag doll, I'm fine," Roger said. The group left the scene and took the southeast path. At the end of the path, the group found another barred door in their way.

"Well, I guess it's the moment of truth," Cyrus said as he pulled the keys. "Cross your fingers, guys."

"Just hurry up already!" Roger rushed.

"I think we should've left him with the dragon." Cliff said.

Cyrus inserted the key in the lock and turned it. Cyrus pulled the key out of the slot and the bars lowered. "Alright, we're in." Without any hesitation, the group went inside the unlocked room. Inside, the area was abandoned. It was a large space with no signs of light. "Fayt, take off the rock."

"Huh? Why is that?"

"I just read something that said the guards cannot stop what they cannot see."

"So?" Cliff asked.

"So... if we go over there to that door with Fayt's light shining, those statues will close us in here."

"I don't know how Cyrus, but you've been right so far. There's always a chance..."

"Hey don't worry, yo. If you forgot, I didn't pilot a vehicle that crash-landed in a city."

"Wha-? Hey, come on! You didn't have to bring that up!" Cliff snapped in embarrassment. Cyrus shrugged his shoulders with a small grin in his face.

"Ha. Looks like he got your number, lummox," Roger replied, taunting Cliff.

"Shut up, vermin," Cliff hissed.

"Alright," said Fayt. He became resisted at first, but the blue haired swordsman put the rock in his pocket. Fayt looked back at Cyrus to see him nod. The group walked across the room and were at the door. They continued walking, watching the dragon heads on each side. When everyone, including the wagon exited.

"Now we could use the stone," Cyrus said. Fayt shook his head and reattached the stone to his belt. The group took the northwest passage until they saw another large decorated door.

"Man, what is it with this place and doors?" Cliff said.

"Tell me about it," Cyrus said. Then he noticed another small panel just like the ones before. "Hey look..." The group walked over and saw the Dragon Runes.

"Well, what does it say?" Roger asked, eager as always.

Nel scanned the text carefully. "Let's see... It says... 'Race ahead of thyself, but not when alone.'"

"What does that mean?" Fayt asked.

"We'll just have to go and find out," Cyrus said. The group looked around a large platform in the center of the room. "Let's check that thing out over there."

As the rest of the group walked over to the strange object, Roger ran over to it and stood on top. Suddenly, lights in the mouths of three dragon statues flashed on. "Wow, look at the magic show I made," Roger said. The group looked around and saw two doors on the west and north side, each open. "So, which way?"

"We should go north," Fayt said. "It seems that if we go that way, we'll be going deeper in the mine."

"Fine by me, homes," Cyrus said. The group walked over to the north passageway, until the door closed in their faces. "What's going on?"

"It seems something triggered the door to seal itself again," Nel said.

"Like what?" Roger asked.

"Hey wait, look at the door." The group looked and only saw their shadows.

"It's our shadows," Roger said. "So what."

"Don't you remember the riddle? 'Race ahead of thyself, but not when alone.'"

Cyrus thought for a moment and then remembered how he solved the puzzle. "Of course!"

"Of course what?" Fayt asked.

"Don't you see? When we first got here, our shadow touched the door, which made it close. And if you look carefully at which direction our shadow is going, they're representing the sources of lights."

"I get it. All we have to do is turn off which light that touches the door."

Cyrus looked down at his shadows. "Alright. Cliff turn off the one behind us."

"Sure thing," Cliff replied as he ran to the back.

"Rog, take out the one on the left near the other door."

"Sure thing." Roger ran to the light and shut it off. Most of the room was now dark again. The only light that stayed on was the one on the left side of the door.

As the two came back, Cyrus inhaled and exhaled heavily. "Ahh... I love the smell of success in the afternoon."

"What about in the morning?" Nel asked.

"Well, yeah that too." As Cliff and Roger returned, the group went out the door and felt that there mission was almost over. They went through a few smaller room and stopped at a small abandoned area where mining operations took place.

"This seems to be the deepest part of the mine," Fayt said.

"I think you're right. We still have some time before Tynave and Farleen return, so we should explore the area a bit," Nel said.

"I'm down with that," Cyrus said.

Cliff was looking a bit edgy. He felt the presence of something else in the room besides him and his partners. "Wait. Don't you hear that?" Small tremors occurred as the large hole in front of the group blew out a strong gale of wind with incredible force. In seconds, a large form shot out of the abyss.

"What is it?" Fayt asked in a freaked out tone.

"It's something big and ugly, I'll tell you that," Roger said. The creature dropped down in front of the group. It was large as Roger pointed out. It looked like a large rooster with a long tail feathers of a bird and a long tail like a dragon's.

"Holy shit!" Cyrus shouted slowly. "Who ordered the extra large from KFC?"

"Be on your guard everyone," Nel said. "This beast is infamous for turning its enemies into stone."

The battle began as Cockatrice shrieked and ran toward the group. Cyrus set his MP3 Player to "Poppa Large (East Coast Remix)," by Ultramagnetic MC The monster tried to use Stone Bite, but the group dodged from the paranoid poultry just before the attack connected. Fayt, with Cyrus' assistance, slashed mercilessly at the creature. Seeing it was overwhelmed, Cockatrice flew up in the air, flipped and slammed to the ground, causing a cave in from the ceiling above them. Most of the group, except for Nel, received some damage from the attack. Nel charged at the monster and attacked it with Shadow Wave. The bird bounced a couple of times from the waves until it crashed to the ground. When it got up, the bird ran over to Cliff. As Cliff was about to unleash his Hammer of Might, Cockatrice cancelled his attack with a swift Stone Bite. In an instant, Cliff was petrified. The group stood in shock as they saw their partner become a rock statue. The giant chicken looked back at the rest of the group and shrieked.

"Oh no!" Cyrus said in horror. "Cliff!"

"Any ideas you guys?" Fayt asked.

"I have one," Cyrus said. "In order to do this, Cockatrice will have to set his attention on Roger."

"What! Why me?" Roger replied.

"Because our attacks are the ones that will have more of an effect." Roger moaned, upset about being bait. "Alright. As Roger distracts Chicken Tenders over there, we'll assault up front with our Blazing Sword. Nel will come in from behind and attack with Shadow Wave."

"We don't have any choice in the matter," Nel said. "Let's get going."

Roger hustled to Cockatrice, mumbling about how stupid the plan was. When he was in its shadow, Roger was intimidated, seeing how large the fowl was up close. "Hey bird brain," Roger yelled. The bird looked down and cocked its head. "Yeah, you. Come and get me ya corn-eating feather duster." Out of pure rage, Cockatrice screeched loudly and chased after the little Menodix. "Anytime now?" he said as he was running from the creature.

"Alright, let's go," Fayt said. At the same time, he and Cyrus performed their Blazing Sword Nel rushed past the monster. The two swordsmen ran into the feathered foe with the tip of their inferno covered blades. Cyrus slid under it to the other side and attacked from there. Seeing that it was cornered, Cockatrice pecked rapidly at the trio. Seeing her time to attack, Nel ran up and used her Shadow Wave. Now the creature showed signs of weakness. All four attacked it at the same time. The bird knew that the end was near as it screamed its last scream. Both swords, the ax and the daggers made contact with the enemy causing it to fly into the wall over the bottomless pit. Cockatrice bounced off the wall and tried to hover, but no avail as it fell down into the abyss.

"Yippie! That was great!"

"Yeah," Cyrus said in agreement. "So, anyone up for some fried chicken?" The only reply that he received from his teammates were silent, cold stares. Cyrus chuckled nervously. "Then again, maybe not."

"How about we help out Cliff," Nel advised.

"Aw..." Roger moaned. "I liked him like in this shape."

"Cyrus, the basil?"

"Got ya covered, Nel." He handed the plant to the red headed spy and she concocted a potion that turned Cliff back to flesh.

"Whoa!" Cliff said after he turned to normal. "What happened?"

"You were turned to stone," Fayt said.

"Huh? No wonder I felt a bit rough."

"Now are you glad that I bought the plant, homes?" Cyrus said.

"Alright, thanks."

"We could think of ways on how you'll pay me back later."

"Let's continue exploring," Fayt said. The group walked around the room looking for copper for twenty minutes. They looked high and low and walked back to Fayt, who was studying an area near a hauler.

"There you are," Nel said as Tynave, Farleen and the driver arrived.

"This area shows little sign of being mined and the purity looks quite high," Fayt said in astonishment. "Let's search around here, Nel."

"All right. Everyone, start digging around here."

"Yes, ma'am," Farleen said as she, Tynave and the wagon driver excavated a large amount of copper.

"I think this should be enough," Fayt said as he inspected the supply.

"All right, let's take it to the refinery," Nel said. "You go ahead on hauler."

"Yes, Lady Nel," Tynave said. "Please be careful." The three left the cave with the copper as Nel, Fayt, Cliff, Roger and Cyrus followed close behind.

"Oh yeah, mission accomplished!" Roger said.

"Don't be too sure," Cyrus said. "We may have the metal, but we're not out of the woods yet."

"What are you talking about?" Cliff said.

"I have a feeling that somethin's gonna go down, know what I mean?" Cyrus wasn't too far from the truth. As they speak, a large horde of soldiers and a few Dragon Brigade dragon riders were heading towards the Bequerel Mines. Headed by the Black Brigade's captain, Albel Nox; it was only a matter of time until they reach them.

Author's Note 1: Ornitholestes: A dinosaur from the Late Jurassic period of North America. This small, nimble hunter was about 10 feet long and as tall as a small child. Its mouth was filled with small, razor sharp teeth. This carnivore exhibits features of primitive carnivores from such groups as Ceratosauria and may have even show the small nose horn. Due to its small and light weight body, it may have been fast, as well as deadly, and also would show some bird like features such as feathers.

Author's Note 2: Your patience has finally paid off as the battle you've been waiting for is finally underway in this scene. It's Cyrus Splicer, shizznit extraordinare, versus Albel Nox, master of the Airyglyph's pride. Will Cyrus be able to "Keep it Real?" Will his training and skills be enough? Or will he get shanked upon the edge of Albel's katana? We shall soon find out, YA HEARD?

Part 12.2: The Legion Menace

For about a few hours, the group trained at the area in between the mine and the refinery. Cyrus, who didn't forget about his duties as an inventor, signed a man named Grats, an old soldier from the refinery. As they completed their training (and in Cyrus' case, business negotiations), the group left the building by hauler and ended up back to the first room of the mine where two runologists looked frightened. "What's wrong?" Nel asked. "Hurry up and load the copper."

"Lady Nel, there's..." said the frightened words of one runologist.

"Outside..." said another.

"Did you see something?" The Crimson Blade asked.

"Whatever it is, it can't be good," Cliff said.

"Let's check it out," Roger said. The team of five rushed outside to find an unwanted ambush set just for them. "Yikes!" Roger said in surprise.

"The Dragon Brigade!" Cliff said.

"Good job getting this far, but I'm afraid it was all in vain," said the commanding officer and second in command named Demetrio. He rode on a large grey dragon that hovered above four Airyglyph Soldiers.

"Reinforcements?" Fayt said in disbelief.

"Looks like we took too long…" Nel said.

"Now this just sucks right here!" Cyrus said.

"Argh! You guys load the copper! Leave the fighting to us!" Cliff said to Tynave and Farleen behind them.

"Yes, right away!" Farleen said. "Hurry everyone! Let's get that copper loaded!" The two rushed out to help get the copper on board.

"Lay them to waste," Demetrio ordered his troops.

"In your dreams."

"Hey, I know that fool!" Cyrus said pointing to one of the Airyglyph Soldiers. The third soldier pointed to himself to make sure he was the one Cyrus was talking about. "Yeah, you. You're that chump that poked kept poking my ass back in Airyglyph."

"Don't worry, boy. Being poked and this 'police brutality' is the last thing you need to worry about."

"You think you can beat me. I'll shank yo' ass, son!"

The battle started as both side rushed at one another. Cyrus collided with his target with his sword striking his armor. The knight retaliated by jabbing him with his spear, but Cyrus blocked the move. Instead, he shouted "Raptor's Revenge!" Cyrus jumped at the soldier and began kicking rapidly at his chest. He then had both feet on the knight and back flipped off him, landing on his feet. The knight, on the other hand, laid on the ground from the damage and the force of the blow. Somehow, the knight picked himself up and struck Cyrus with a sweeping slash. He was about to slash downward, but Cyrus countered and kicked him in the face. The night staggered but he regained his balance to run at him again. "This is it, weakling!" he yelled.

"I don't think so," Cyrus said confidently. As the warrior tried to hit Cyrus at an upper right corner angle, the young swordsman held up his blade. The pole of the spear bounced off the sword and hit the soldier in his helmet. Even though his face was concealed, Cyrus knew that the enemy was dazed and disoriented. Cyrus saw his opportunity to use Time's Up, a move that is associated with Drunken Boxing. He moved in a wobbly fashion toward the knight and pulled up his face guard. Cyrus spun his opponent. Then he punched with the back of his face which made him have to hold it. Afterwards, he slams the soldier to his knee, causing him to hold his face some more. Last, but not least, the soldier was flown backwards as he punched him in the face with an opened palm. The soldier was not moving, which meant the winner was none other than Cyrus. "Yeah! Don't wanna mess with me again. Are do ya, chump?" The battle was over as the last soldier that was still standing was defeated by Nel's Ice Daggers.

"The copper's loaded!" Tynave said.

"Get on, quick!" Farleen rushed.

"No! Someone has to deal with the Dragon Brigade. You go on ahead! We'll hold them off!" Nel explained.

"What?" Farleen said in disbelief.

"Just go, hurry!" Cliff said.

"Don't worry, we'll catch up with you later, I promise," Fayt said.

"That's right," Cyrus said. "These clowns are just a bag of hot air."

"Now, get that copper to Dion!"

"…Good luck!" Tynave said. "Farleen, let's go!" Tynave and Farleen drove the wagon out of the area at full speed.

"Don't even think about it!" Cliff hollered at Demetrio.

"I think we avoided the worst-case scenario," Nel said.

"_If only that was true," _Cyrus thought.

"Bah. What could you possibly accomplish by looting some copper?" Demetrio question. Then, a thought of its purpose had crossed his mind. "Or…maybe it's for that new weapon of yours?"

"How do you know about that?" a pissed and skeptical Nel asked.

" Don't underestimate us. We've known about it for quite some time now. You don't have a monopoly on spies, you see."

"Why you..."

Suddenly, two blue Legion Dragons flew down behind Demetrio. "Whatever this runological wonder of yours turns out to be, it won't help you win the war. The weak will always fall to the strong. But enough with this pointless posturing. Surrender!"

"Don't make me laugh!"

"So these two are Fayt, Cyrus and Cliff, huh? You three are quite impressive. It's not too late, you know. Join with us. If you refuse, you'll die."

"Wait, join you or die?" Cliff said. "I can't decide which is worse."

"Do the words 'kiss my black ass' mean anything to you?" Cyrus said.

"We'll never join you!" Fayt said. "And I don't intend to die, either!"

"Yeah, so why don't you just leave already," Roger advised.

"I thought you'd have a little more sense… What a pity."

Demetrio and his lackeys rushed into battle. Cyrus turned his radio on to "Sneakman," by Hideki Naganuma Jet Grind Radio. Fayt struck at Demetrio with his Side Kick. Cyrus also attacked Demetrio by using Raptor's Revenge, causing them to fall on the ground. As if they weren't hurt, The dragon got back up and started using its Searing Fire Breath. Luckily, both Fayt and Cyrus jumped out of the way from the blast. The commander saw his chance and used his Master's Combo. He dived at Cyrus and swooped up into the sky. Cyrus was thrown into the air with the dragon and was plummeting down fast. Demetrio used his large lance, to finish Cyrus off, but Cyrus anticipated this. He opened his eyes and grabbed the cone as it came at him. He jumped behind Demetrio who began to start punching. Cyrus blocked a few of the attacks and punched him in the jaw. Then he stood up and as his foe was holding his mouth, back flipped to the ground below him with his long coat wrapped around him and landed gracefully on his feet. Unfortunately, he still felt sore after the assault from the overgrown lizard. Demetrio returned after he regained control of the dragon, even more determined. In a fit of rage, Demetrio swooped down in between Cyrus and Fayt, but they side stepped from his attack. They turned around and saw Demetrio preparing to use his dragon's Searing Fire Breath, when all of a sudden, they heard someone shout "Flashing Blade." Three streams of ice came from the duo's right side that hit Demetrio hard enough to knock his dragon to near a cliff. When they turned around, they saw the form of Nel. Fayt gave a thumbs up. The battle was over and the trio walked over to the weakened rider and his reptile.

Cliff and Roger were already there. "I- I don't believe it...," the tired Demetrio said. Then he began snickered malevolently and softly. "Still… Your fate shall be…" Without warning, the cliff gave way. The dragon tried to fly, but it was too exhausted. Demetrio yelled as both him and his dragon plunged into the chasm's abyss.

"Were you gonna say sealed?" Cyrus yelled down the deep pit.

"We better get back to Aquios, fast," Nel advised. "Now that Airyglyph knows we are working on a new weapon, we don't have much time."

"You're right," Fayt said.

"There's no time to loose!" Roger replied. The group went down the trail, rushing pass the mine and on the path to Arias. In between the mountains, the group were in shock as they made a grizzly discovery. Tynave and Farleen were on the ground in pain. With the wagon next to them. Two Black Brigade soldiers and their captain, Albel, stood over their wounded bodies. Albel noticed they had company and simply turned his back to them.

"Tynave! Farleen!" Fayt yelled in horror.

"Damn, they didn't get away?" Cliff asked himself in angst.

Albel turned his head. "I thought something intriguing might be afoot," he said nonchalantly. "And now we meet again. I'm glad I came out to play today."

"Albel!" Cyrus yelled.

"What a pity. We had to seize your precious cargo."

"... I'm sorry," Farleen said, as Tynave moaned in pain.

Albel walked up to Farleen's body and kicked her in the stomach. "Silence maggot," Albel ordered.

"You sick ass bastard!" Cyrus said.

"Albel Nox!" Nel yelled. "How dare you do this to my people!"

"Huh? You mean these two? They resisted when we tried to seize the goods. They didn't put up much of a fight… They…dropped like flies!" Albel began cackling loudly. Cyrus usually liked how he laughed back in his universe when this was just a game. Now, he found it unsettling as he's experienced his malicious acts first hand.

"You..." Fayt said.

"You won't get away with this," Nel threatened.

Albel then turned his attention to Cyrus, who gave him a glare. "No getting off the hook for free today, ladies, I'm not through playing. Besides, this time you might even give me a little sport."

"Oh yeah?" Cliff mocked. "Try us! We have a way of taking the fun out of things for our enemies."

"Hah! I'll be the judge of that! And worm," he said. Cyrus scowled harder at his rival. "I haven't forgotten our match."

"Don't worry," Cyrus reassured. "I've been training my ass off for this moment," he said as he tightened his grip.

"You better say good-bye, maggot. It will be the last time you'll see them again."

"I'm staying, bitch! I'm gonna win or my name isn't Cyrus M. Splicer. And it is."

"That's what you think. Now, let's see what you've got!"

Cyrus turned his player to "Sneakman (Toronto remix)," from Jet Set Radio Future. The battle began as the group ganged up on the knights. Cyrus hopped up and quickly rushed at Albel, who just stood there. As Cyrus struck at Albel, the foe raised his sword and both began pushing on their blades to test one another's strength. Albel shoved on his blade hard, causing Cyrus leaped back. Seeing that Cyrus was in his sights, Albel performed Air Slash. A large shockwave was cutting to the ground, and coming toward the youth a high speeds. Cyrus jumped up away from the stream, literally cutting it close. As he landed, Albel emerged from the dust made by the trail and before Cyrus could react, he struck. Cyrus fell down with tremendous force. _"Oh man," _Cyrus thought. _"This guy doesn't play around. I have a feeling he likes his job a little too much."_

"I can't believe it," Albel said. Cyrus leaned up and set his attention to the man. "You're the one who had defeated most of a number of my squadron, pathetic. How my men were defeated by your hands is a mystery, but from what I'm seeing, you're nothing more than a weakling."

"What was that, B?"

"I wanted a fight and this is what I get? You're wasting my time. I guess the weak like yourself will always bow down to the strong." Cyrus started chuckling. "What's so funny maggot?"

"You call me weak, son? At least I don't kick my victims when there down or go attack without a plan. What I have been doing right now," Cyrus snickered, "I was studying you. See there's no point in trying to defeat a foe without proper k-nowledge, know what I'm saying. And then torturing your adversary when they can no longer battle. I may be 'weak' as you call it, but at least I a shred of honor and more resilience then you'll have, chump."

"Are you done, maggot. It's time to die now."

"Like I said before," Cyrus gave a nasty scowl, "I don't die for no one. If you want to see how strong I am, shut the mouth and take action, biyatch!" Albel charged at his kneeling foe and jumped. In moments, his blade was descending quickly toward Cyrus for the final blow. It appeared that it was over until... CLANG. Albel's blade was stopped. As he looked down, he saw a familiar sword that blocked. It was Cyrus who was still kneeling, but held off Albel's sword in less than a few inches away from his face. Cyrus gave off a simple smirk and kicked him in the stomach. Albel staggered back as the young swordsman kicked back up to his feet.

Albel smiled and thought to himself, _"Now the fun begins."_ He charged at Cyrus and slashed, but missed as Cyrus leapt over. As soon as he landed, Cyrus struck to the left, but Albel blocked. Cyrus again tried to strike, but the attack was blocked again. Albel used his metal and struck down. Cyrus stopped the claw, but Albel also used his katana and struck at Cyrus' right flank. Cyrus knew that he would probably use a trick like that and adjusted his sword at an angle to also block the long blade. Now he had to contend with Albel pushing with both his arm and his sword. Cyrus concentrated his powers heavily on the sword. In no time, a dark aura surrounded the blade. Both warriors leapt back. Albel, was zig-zagging across the land. Cyrus studied the distance that attack put out. Cyrus ran to toward Albel as quickly as he could, and stopped. It looked like both warriors were about to clash, until Albel's strike had missed. Cyrus still stood unscathed and only felt the wind. Albel turned around as did Cyrus and eyed each other down. The aura around Cyrus' blade was growing thicker. Albel used his Air Slash. Cyrus dodged the first, but a second one came right at him as he landed. At the right time, Cyrus slammed his blade down on the ground and the wave split in half and both sides went around Cyrus in both directions. Albel's face was painted in shock as he saw his attack chopped in half. Cyrus was ready to deliver his finishing move and Albel charged at the swordsman. The dark aura surrounded Cyrus' body and at the same speed as Albel, he charged. Both dark colored streaks approached each other at high speeds until the slash of a both swords had echoed through the landscape. Fayt, Cliff, Nel and Roger, who finished their adversaries, watched stunned. The bodies of the two swordsmen stood perfectly still. Both held their blades out. Cyrus flinched first, showing that the fight took its tole, but it was Albel who knelt on his sword. The battle was over.

Cyrus ate some blueberries. They didn't help relieve him of the pain, but they were enough to help him move. Cyrus walked up to a defeated Albel who was badly wounded and still kneeling. "You…put up a better fight than…I…" the captain coughed violently. "This… This cannot be!"

"Told you... I was resilient... homes," Cyrus said in a rasping and tired voice.

"Want some more?" Cliff said, very much eager to finish him off.

"Gladly! I…won't be defeated by the likes…of… Gaah!" Albel gagged and slipped off his katana.

"Leave him, G," Cyrus said.

Cliff was pretty skeptical. "We gotta get Tynave and Farleen to a doctor, fast," Fayt said. "And we got the copper. No reason to stick around here."

"…Yeah, you're right," Nel agreed.

"But shouldn't we take care of this little problem first?" Cliff asked.

"Yeah, well, it's just like he said: Easy wins have never been my style," Fayt replied. Albel looked up in astonishment.

"Hehe, yeah, I gotta agree with you there. I've no interest in trouncin' weaklings either!" Cliff commented.

"I'm not interested in fighting a tired fool, myself," Cyrus said.

"Let's go," Fayt said. The group left as they laid the injured bodies of Tynave and Farleen in the back with the copper ore and rode the wagon back to Arias.

Cyrus stayed behind and looked at Albel. "Did you change your mind, worm?"

Cyrus pulled out some blueberries and handed them to Albel. "Don't think it's pity, homes. I don't work like that."

"Then why...?"

"I would like to fight you again. I've defeated many adversaries where I'm from, but you were a challenge to behold. I know we'll meet again, and I have a feeling it will be on friendlier terms." Albel snatched the berries and Cyrus rushed back to the group. Still furious after his battle, Albel roared. His yell echoed throughout the mountain path.


	14. Chapter 13

Part 13.1: Entered Wounds

As soon as the group reached Arias, they saw Cyrus catching up to them. He rejoined the gang as they walked along side the wagon with its precious cargo and wounded passengers. "Cyrus, are you okay?" Fayt asked.

"Just fine," he said before he felt a sharp pain on his right side. "Never better..."

"I think it's time you took it easy," Nel suggested. "That battle took a lot out of you. After all, it was never thought possible that anyone could defeat Albel Nox."

"Well, I got to admit, that fight was up the shizzle shizzay, know what I'm sayin'? I can't believe I defeated the best of Airyglyph: Albel Nox. Master Diogo would be proud..." he said with his hat brim turned back.

"Master Diogo?" Cliff asked.

"Yes, back in... Greeton," Cyrus said in quotes with his hands, "I had a sensei named Master Diogo who taught me the art of self-defense. If you ask me, he's tight, the best instructor on the West Coast. Without him, I wouldn't have been able to defeat Albel or even make it this far."

"He must be proud to have a student like you," Fayt said. "It would be great if we could meet him when this is over."

"Yeah it would," Cyrus sighed.

"Something wrong?" Cliff asked.

"I hate to say it, but I don't think that would be possible, you know."

"Why?"

"Someone had... injured him... badly." Cyrus looked down, ignoring the pain he felt in his side.

"Oh, sorry."

"Ah, don't be, homes. It's cool," he said with optimism. Unfortunately, it wasn't cool. Cyrus had a flashback of what happened and remembered the last words he ever heard from his master the night before. He remembered how his teacher sacrificed himself as he was mortally wounded by Lystara Catalysta's beam. After listening to his dying teacher's words, Cyrus swore to stop Lystara's horrendous plans, one way or another. The flashback ended as Cyrus the sharp pain in his chest.

"Cyrus...?" Nel said seeing the black clothed young man holding his chest.

Cyrus felt something on his chest. It was hard and as he felt its design, he remembered what it was. He gave a small smirk. "It's okay, I forgot I still had this." Cyrus pulled out his chain. It was a gold chain with a gold plate that looked like a sword in a circle hanging from it.

"What is that thing, Cyrus," Roger asked in amazement.

"Where I come from, this is bling bling. Only the best of the best get some shine like this."

"Where did you get it?"

"I'll tell you this: it was from a real expensive jeweler that would pay the highest price. Luckily, he knew my old man, and owed him a favor. He also heard about me and my... ability to kick some serious ass."

"I see," Fayt said. "So did he give it to you out of intimidation?"

"Naw, that's not how it works. See, he said that if I could defeat him in a fight, then he would gladly give to me at a seventy percent discount. He was the best there was in that part of Northgate."

"So what happened?" Cliff asked.

"The dude tried to use some of that Kung Fu- Tai Chi mix on me, but I won the battle in the hour with my own techniques."

"Which are...?"

"Heh... I was taught by the best so it was a whole number of different forms. From Shoalin to Kick Boxing to Ninjitsu to Zuijiuquan."

"What's that?" Roger asked.

"The art of the Eight Drunken Gods. Better known as Drunkard's Boxing."

"Drunkard's Boxing?" Fayt asked.

"An ancient style of martial arts that is centuries old. The main object of the style is to use a drunken like form while you fight."

"What?" Cliff said.

"I'll tell you about that later." In a few minutes, the group arrived the Arias where Tynave and Farleen were taken to the mansion to get healed. Cyrus was treated for his wounds and became well known as the young swordsman who defeated Albel Nox thanks to Roger's big mouth.

After Tynave and Farleen were resting in their beds, it was time to leave. "I'm sorry, Clair," Nel said apologetically. "Please take care of Tynave and Farleen."

Clair looked at her two sleeping subordinates/comrades. "Of course…don't worry about them. Are you going back to Aquios?" Clair asked.

"Yes; somehow, information about the top secret new runological weapon that we developed, the Thunder Arrow, was leaked to Airyglyph. I must report to Her Majesty as soon as possible. They're not fools… They must be planning something."

"As for that leak, one of my subordinates has gone missing. He disappeared right after you came back. There is a good chance he was passing information on to Airyglyph… This is truly unfortunate."

"I see…"

"Nel, let's go," Fayt said.

"Right," Nel responded.

"See ya later, Clair," Cyrus said.

"May the grace of Apris be with you," Clair said.

The group of five had left the rebuilding village and hiked north through the Palmira Plains wilderness, swam through the public masses of Peterny, raced through the Irisa Fields and arrived at the Sacred City of Aquios. As they walked on the city bridge, Fayt saw two young women near the left side. It seemed that one of them collapsed while the other was trying to care for her. "Are you okay?" Fayt asked in a concerned tone.

"Yes… But we'd better get her to a doctor immediately," the woman advised. She turned her head around and everyone, except Nel, were surprised to see her familiar face.

"Well, if it isn't Mirage," Cliff said in a casual way.

"Mirage?" Fayt said.

"Long time, no see," Cyrus said.

"Cliff, Fayt, Cyrus," Mirage said in a calm voice. "Reunited at last."

"What have ya been up to?" Cliff asked.

"I've been tracking you down," Mirage said. "It was easy enough, with all the stories you left in your wake. I just arrived here—only to see this girl collapse in front of my eyes. We need to get her to a doctor, quick."

"Is it that bad?"

"I'm afraid so."

Fayt looked down as he noticed something familiar in a basket. "Flowers..." he looked at the face of the unconscious girl and was surprised to death as he called out "Ameena?"

"What?" Cliff said in shock.

"You can't be serious!" Cyrus said in astonishment.

"What is she doing here?" Nel said.

"How should I know?" Fayt said. "We gotta get her help!"

"Take her to the inn and I'll go summon the doctor."

"Please hurry!" As Nel rushed in town for help, the group rushed Ameena to the inn. After a few minutes, Ameena was resting in a bed as a runologist began treating her.

"She's stable at the moment, but her condition is still serious," the runologist said. "For now, just make sure she gets plenty of rest."

Fayt bowed respectfully to the physician and the doctor bowed back before she left. As soon as she was gone, Fayt kicked at the ground. "Damn, why'd she have to go and pull a thing like this?" Fayt said.

"Hey, keep it cool," Cliff said as he walked over to the disgruntled young man. "You'll wake her up."

"But...!"

"I said relax. Do you think you beating up the walls will somehow help her get better?" Fayt groaned, but even though he was still upset, the blue-haired swordsman quickly regained his composure.

"The disease is in her lungs," Mirage said, sitting in a chair next to Ameena as she gave her prognosis. "If the Eagle were operational, I think we could heal her."

"Are you sure, Mirage?" Fayt asked.

"It may be a small ship, but it's medical facilities are better than anything on this rock," Cliff commented.

"Sounds like good news," Cyrus replied. "Though, it also sounded as though you said 'if.'"

"That's exactly what I said," Mirage said. "Unfortunately, the impact destroyed most of the equipment. And, the Eagle's been heavily guarded ever since you two were taken away.  
The door's locked, so the soldiers can't get in, but unless we deal with them—neither can we."

"Leave it to me!" Roger said. "I could take those guys on, no problem."

"It's cool that you have the attitude, Rog," Cyrus said. "But I'm afraid those chumps have three things on you." Cyrus held up his hands and began counting on his fingers. "Height, numbers and armor."

"That's the thing, isn't it," Cliff said. "If we started raising a ruckus in the middle of their royal city, you can bet the Dragon Brigade'll be on us in no time. And I don't think that Albel guy'll take too kindly to us, either."

"Yeah, and I have first hand experience with his capabilities. With the slash to prove it."

"But Ameena… She's running out of time!" Fayt yelped.

"I know. But what can we do?" Cliff said.

"I'm sorry," Nel said as she entered the room. She walked over to the group to tell them the news. "We're running out of time ourselves. Her Majesty has summoned you three."

"Is something wrong?" Cliff asked.

"You'll hear all the details inside the castle. It looks like Airyglyph's invasion has begun. Their troops are already approaching Arias. Not only that, we have information that indicates this time all three of Airyglyph's brigades are taking part in the battle…"

"Oh man."

"I think they are going to try and wipe us out before we can complete the Thunder Arrow. Duke Vox is commanding them."

"So they're trying to end it all in a single blow?" Fayt asked.

"Hate to say it, but with that firepower, looks like it's game over for Aquaria!" Cyrus said.

"It looks like that," Nel said. "At any rate, Dion will head to Arias with every completed weapon at our disposal. I don't know how much he'll be able to accomplish."

"Dion...?" a faint voice said. The five turned around to the bed and saw a weak Ameena trying to get up from her bed.

"Ameena, you have to stay in bed!" Fayt said as he hurried to the worn out girl to gently lower her down.

"I... Fayt...?"

"Don't worry about that. Why did you push yourself so hard?"

"Because…my friend—an old man I know told me I could find him here, in Aquios."

"He's here?"

"Yes… The man said he works in the royal research facility…"

"You did say that your friend is an engineer…but are you really sure he's in the lab?"

"I don't know… But when I heard… I just had to come…"

"And so you came all this way by yourself," Cliff said.

"Well, absence does make the heart grow fonder," Cyrus said. "But still, that put too much strain on you, Ameena."

"I guess..."

"The royal research facility… Does that ring a bell?" Fayt asked Nel.

"There's only one research lab in Aquios—Lady Elena's Runological Weapon Research Facility."

"Really? If that's the case, I may have already met him! Ameena, what's your friend's name?"

"His name…is Dion."

"What? Dion's your long-lost friend?"

"Whoa! Shocking!" Cyrus said.

"Do you know him?" Ameena asked anxiously. "That means Dion… He's… He's really here… I'm going to see him."

"No, wait, you're sick. You have to stay here," Mirage said.

"But..."

"Ameena, you can't move in the state you're in," Fayt said. "Look, I'll bring Dion here to see you."

"Fayt..."

"Ameena, listen to me. I don't want you running around and collapsing again!"

"Okay,"

"Mirage, can you please stay by her side?"

"Yes. Leave her to me," Mirage said.

"Dion is still in the research lab?" Fayt asked Nel.

"Yes, he is… He's still preparing the runological weapons they're going to take to Arias," Nel explained.

"I'll be right back," Fayt said.

"We'll be in the audience chamber to get enough information about the situation as possible." Cyrus said.

"Okay." The group headed to the castle and parted ways inside. Cliff left to buy amenities such as potions and fresh sages. Fayt traveled to the fabrication room while Cyrus and Nel arrived at the audience chamber and presented themselves to the queen.

"We're sorry we're late, you majesty," Nel said as both her and Cyrus kneeled down to one knee. "We humbly ask for your forgiveness."

"You should," Magistrate Lasselle snapped. "Time is of the essence. There's no telling what those Airyglyph slime are doing while you're sitting around playing games."

"Lasselle, please..." the Queen said.

"Yes, your majesty."

"_Man Lasselle,"_ Cyrus thought with folded arms, _"who pissed in your cup of tea in the mornings."_

"As you may know, our situation is grave. With the information that we have received, Airyglyph forces are beginning to stir. It would seem they are planning an invasion led by Duke Vox of the Dragon Brigade. Some of our key personnel have already left for Arias. Unfortunately, I feel they will have a hard time holding the Glyphian troops at bay. I hope our new runological weapon will be developed in time..." the queen explained.

"Do not worry," Cyrus assured. "We already have the resources to complete the Thunder Arrow. With the upgrades that we've made, I have total confidence that Aquaria will end up on top, your majesty. It still depends on time, but nonetheless I still believe we'll have the armament working soon enough."

"I hope you are right. We have also transferred all our weaponry to the battlefield. I pray that everyone will come back safely."

"As do I," Nel said.

Nel and Cyrus stood back up and whispered to each other. "This isn't good," Cyrus said. "If what the Queen says is true, we're seriously outnumbered seventeen to one. I'm not saying that we're gonna go down. What I am saying is this fight's gonna be pretty hard."

"There's no arguing with those odds," Nel commented. "You know Cyrus, I just thought of something. We're fine as a group, Cyrus, but there is one dilemma."

"Besides the horde of armored knights and their squadron of flying lizards, what other issues are there?"

"No single fighter alone from our militia is able to stand their ground against Vox or Albel."

"You're right. My little joust with Nox nearly had me shanked, permanently. I'm still able to take him on, but not so soon."

"That's true, but still, if we had a warrior of that kind of strength, we would be able to lower the rate of casualties."

"You have a point. But who could accomplish such skills and where would you find such a soldier?"

Nel shrugged as she didn't have the answer to this question. As they were about to walk out the doorway, they were stopped by a loud, rough voice coming from outside. "I made it on time. I'm back." The two took there battle positions. The man that entered looked around sixty or seventy years in Cyrus' perception. Still, he looked pretty masculine. He wore high sandals and a red drag and no shirt, showing his muscles. Everyone in the room was shocked to see him.

"Huh?" was the only word that the magistrate could let out before his jaw dropped.

"Y-You?" Nel said in surprise.

"Wh-What?" Cyrus said, unsure about why everyone was acting weird.

"It's been a long time, Adray," the queen said calmly. "Were you off on some mission in distant lands?"

"You can say that again," he said after a hearty chuckle. "I was investigating an island nation off the northern coast of Gaitt. Makes me wonder how important it is to investigate places so remote, they aren't even shown on the map…"

Magistrate Lasselle walked down the throne, still pretty surprised. "You're back much earlier than I expected. Did you complete your investigations? We have reports that there was a new king in that land last year. And we also heard that the younger brother of the previous king has come to Gaitt. This situation warrants…"

Being tired of hearing the magistrates voice, Adray slammed his hand over his head, but Lasselle quickly blocked the attack. "Shut up, Lasselle!" Adray shouted. Cyrus' face was painted in astonishment. "Warriors should always be sent to where their country needs them the most, right?"

As the two started bickering, Cyrus moved over to Nel and asked, "Yo, Nel, who's the dude?"

"That's Adray Lasbard. He used to be the leader of the Shield Legion and was also in the Crimson Blade. He's one of the best known swordsmen and engineers Aquaria has ever known, over the course of its long history. Although he's not the man he once was, even now there are many who think, he's still the best fighter in the entire kingdom."

"Whoa! Now those are credentials! Hold up- you said 'Lasbard.' That means..."

"That's right. He's Clair's father. Cant you see the resemblance?"

"Is that a trick question?"

"I know what you mean. Hardly anyone believes it." Nel looked behind Cyrus to see Adray standing behind him. "So, what are you going to do?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"It looks like Adray wants to come with us."

"Say what?"

"You've seen how he is. If you're planning on saying no, you'll have to think of a really smooth way to say it."

"Uh..."

Cyrus turned around to see Adray had already faced him. "So you must be Cyrus. I'm Adray. I've heard all about you. Let's work together to drive out those Airyglyph weasels!"

"It's cool that you wanna come, but I think we're okay!"

"Why so reticent? I can't just sit on my posterior and relax while our visitors from Greeton are exposed to mortal danger. Leave the rest of the fighting to me. Just relax. Think of it as a pleasure cruise."

"Reticent... Forgot to look that up in the dictionary. Still, we have this covered."

"Don't you worry. I may be old but I'm still Adray. I'm not too old to trounce the young fellows; not just yet mind you."

"That's tight and all, but still..."

"I don't think he's listening," Nel said as Adray completely ignored Cyrus with a prideful grin on his face.

The only thing the young swordsman could do was sigh and grin. "You don't take 'no' for an answer. I like you that. It seems my teacher was right: a warrior's flame always burns, no matter how long time passes."

"Ah, wise words," Adray said. "I think we should get going. There is no time to talk in the time of war." The warrior walked out of the room.

Cyrus had something on his mind. "Is everything okay?" Nel asked. "I know Adray is a little... 'enthusiastic,' but he's disciplined and real strong. I have a feeling he's the fighter we need."

"It's not that," Cyrus said. "It's just that I don't think he knows where he's going."

They looked at the passageway and saw Adray walking back. "Uh, Nel? Can you please lead the way." Nel shook her head gently and stared at elder warrior in contempt. She walked the two warriors back to the inn. By the time they reached the front door, Nel was stopped by a subordinate of hers.

"Lady Nel," the soldier said. "I have some information about the war."

"Very well." Both she and the fellow officer went across the street and discussed the news.

"What do you think it's about, Adray?" Cyrus asked.

"I don't know. Maybe those Glyphians are planning some sort of counterattack. Just in case the Thunder Arrow comes into play."

"You knew about the Thunder Arrow?" the young shizznit said in shock.

"Of course," the elder warrior said in a calm tone. "One of the guards told me about it when I first entered the castle. Before that, I was told about it in Arias. That was where I got word of you and your other comrades from Greeton."

"Ah, I see." After the conversation, the subordinate left for the castle and Nel walked back to the others. "So what was it?"

"I'll tell you about it inside. I think you'll like it."

"Sound's serious," Adray whispered. Nel escorted the two swordsmen to a bedroom upstairs with Roger and Cliff to keep them company. Then she walked across the hall to get Fayt and Mirage. The three came in, Fayt was still looking depressed over Ameena's current state, but was a bit happy that she got to see Dion again.

"All right, give me the dirt. Where do we stand on the battle front?" Cliff asked.

"I'll be honest with you. It's pretty bad. The enemy forces have already swept past Kirlsa and they have established a front by the national border, close to Arias. I also have reports that indicate that this is the largest force they've ever fielded…"

"That's not good… The enemy's serious this time. Vox is spearheading the attack, right? And all three Airyglyph brigades are participating?"

"Yes, but apparently, Albel the Wicked is not participating in this operation." Cyrus perked up as soon as he heard that information.

"Is that so?" Cliff asked.

"The reports indicate as much. There is a possibility that the events at the Bequerel Mines are somehow related."

"Ah, make sense. Well, whatever. We'll take on whoever they throw at us."

Cyrus blew out of relief. _"I'm just glad it isn't Nox," _Cyrus thought. _"The last time was too close of a shave for me. I guess my being here hasn't made much impact in this universe, luckily."_

"I'm sorry… I didn't bring you two all this way to help fight our war," Nel said.

"Hah, not you tell me! Don't worry—being here was our decision."

"I appreciate you saying that. And I know our leadership is counting on you—whether they come out and say it or not. Have no doubt; you will be a vital part of our defense."

"Well, it's not like I can just let things go their merry way now." He turned to Fayt. "In for a penny, in for a pound, right?"

Silence came before Fayt came back to reality. "Uh, yeah, that's right."

"You weren't listening, were you?" Cliff asked while scratching his head. "What's on your mind?"

"It's just… Watching Dion and Ameena… I couldn't help but remember Sophia. …I wonder what she's doing right now. And then there's my dad… I just hope everyone's safe."

"Fayt..." Cyrus said.

"It's not really my place to say this, but… I'm truly sorry," Nel said apologetically. "Sorry for keeping you here so long. I know you want to go help your father."

"Don't worry about that," Fayt said. "It's not like I have a way to get to him now, anyway. It was just bothering me."

"I said this before, but worrying won't help," Cliff replied. "You have to focus— do what you can now."

There was silence in the room as Fayt began to think over situation. " You're right. All I can do is help this country… And figure out how we're going to survive this."

"That's right."

"We will survive this, G," Cyrus said. "As soon as we win this war, we'll continue searching for your dad."

"Thank you, Cyrus," Fayt said.

"So, what do you want me to do?" Mirage asked. "I can fight, if you want me to."

"Ah yes… What DO you want her to do?" Cliff asked. "She's a great fighter, like I told you before."

"I think I'd like her to stay with Ameena," Fayt suggested.

"Hmm… I guess you're right," Cliff said. "No sense getting her involved now. Mirage, you okay with that?"

"Fine."

"I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting," Dion said as he walked into the door.

"Are you ready?" Nel asked.

"Yes… And we've no time to spare. I'm looking forward to having time to chat with Ameena once the war's done."

"That's right… Another good reason to win this war," Fayt said.

"Yes, we'll win this one. I promised Ameena we would."

"Okay, let's do it!" Cliff said.

"All right, Dion, hurry up and finish your preparations," Nel said. "We'll go on ahead to Arias."

"Okay," Fayt said in agreement. Dion left the room and headed for Aquios.

"Finally, a time for action," Adray said as he lifted himself from the chair. The group looked at him.

"So who's he?" Roger asked.

"I am Adray Lasbard, the ex leader of the Crimson Blade. Ah, so you two must be Fayt and Cliff. I have heard much about you two and Cyrus."

"What brings such an establish veteran here?" Cliff asked.

"Since you are humble guests from Greeton, I would like to serve as your guardians. It would not feel right leaving you three in clear and present danger. Don't worry, I may seem old, but I assure you, I'm as strong and powerful as when I was younger."

"We're much obliged for your service," Fayt said.

"Well as much as I like to stay around welcoming the new guy," Roger said, "we have more pressing business to attend, right m'lady?"

"For once, I'll have to agree with you," Nel said flatly. The group left Aquios and headed back to Arias... again.

* * *

Author's Note 1: It's hard enough that Cyrus must try and survive in the Star Ocean universe as it is. But when you have a being like Lystara Catalysta added to the mix, the playing field gets a little bit shaky. She's back and ready to test the young player's abilities against my favorite villain. Will he pass? Let's find out

* * *

Part 13.2: A Grave Situation

As Cyrus and his group wondered through the wilderness of the Palmira Plains, a familiar and deviant girl caught his eye. "Well Cyrus, it's been a long time," the girl said.

"Not you!" Cyrus yelled in disbelief and confusion as he drew his sword.

"You know her?" Cliff asked. "I mean, the clothes are a good give away, but still..."

"You could say that. That's Lystara Catalysta. A bad acquaintance, if you know what I mean."

"Now don't be that way," Lystara said in a babying voice. "Just because I took your teacher out of the picture, doesn't mean you have to act all sour."

"You mean...?" Fayt was at lost of words.

"I guess he told you. That's right. I wiped out his master. Though I wonder, did he tell you everything." Cyrus' eyes were opened wide. "I mean, there's a lot more behind him than just being some young punk." Cyrus growled.

"What does she mean?" Nel asked.

"Lystara, leave them out of this," Cyrus commanded. "This battle is between you and me."

"Of course it is." A malevolent snicker was heard. "Isn't it always. But right now, I'm afraid that will have to wait."

"Well, what's wrong?" Roger hollered. "Are you a wimp or something?"

"As much as I like to show you some manners or turn Cyrus into nothing, our time is not near," Lystara said.

"That is not the way of a warrior," Adray stated. "Always fleeing from your opponent and using tricks."

"What you call tricks, aging one, is what I call strategy," Lystara smoothly replied. "I prefer to call myself a tactician."

"So you just came to scoff at me?" Cyrus said in an agonized tone.

"No, no, no dear Cyrus. Before I go, I'll leave you a present, from me to you."

"You aren't going anywhere!" As Cyrus charged at where Lystara stood, she disappeared seemingly out of thin air.

Suddenly, a large symbol similar to the materialization of monsters like the Flying Knight appeared. The insignia shot up a large beam of light and rising from the ground was a fierce threat. As soon as it emerge, the group's eyes widened. It was nine feet tall. It's body stood straight and was similar to that of a robot, yet this mechanized creature had eyes of a sentient being. They were yellow with a sharp pupil in both holes of the skull helmet. It moved its cloak to reveal a skinny frame similar to a rib cage. His arms were long and ended in six fingers. His legs, though thin were powerful and tipped with sharp, curved clawed feet similar to a bird. Around his waist were small metal holsters. Cyrus was in awe at who he was looking at. It was none other than the Confederacy's hybrid droid commander, General Grievous. Cyrus quickly rushed back to the group in quick haste.

"Holy shit..." Fayt said under his breath.

"Oh my god," Cyrus said slowly. "This is cool and scary at the same time. I love it!"

"Allow me to introduce myself," the metallic being said as he haunch down. "You may call me General Grievous...," he announced before he coughed. "The Supreme Commander of the Confederacy of Independent Systems."

"I've never heard of that," Cliff said.

"I'm sorry, but someone please tell me what is going on?" Nel said. "Are you from Greeton, too?"

"I have to say he's not," Cyrus responded. "But he's not from here either. I'll tell you this though: he certainly isn't one of the good guys."

"So what are you anyway?" Roger asked. "A mech or something?"

"Do not insult me, foolish child," he snapped and coughed. "I am a specimen that far surpasses the average flesh and blood or any droid soldier. I have been endowed with quickened reflexes and super human strength."

"Of course," Cyrus said. "You're also covered with a heavy duty armor made of Durasteel and armor plasted Duranium. Both strong metals. Your organs are protected by a well built synthe-flesh to keep harmful entities at bay, and your design is similar to a Krath War Droids of the olden days."

"So that explains why he's coughing," Fayt said. "He's a cyborg."

"How do you know this?" Grievous questioned and coughed. "The information was never released. Not even the Jedi have such knowledge."

"Eh... That's not the point," Cyrus quickly parried. "My main question is why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be abducting a certain Chancellor?"

"Your friend informed me of a worthy opponent. Saying that his abilities are high enough to even rival a Jedi. I was not convinced at first, and I still question this assumption."

"So why did you come here?"

"I wanted to know why she would make such an accusation. But now I understand. I can feel two energies. It is... unique." He coughed again. "What are your names?" He asked, pointing to Fayt and Cyrus.

"I am Fayt Leingod."

"I'm Cyrus Splicer."

"So, you are this Cyrus Splicer... When I first heard about your skill, I figured you to be..."

"Older?"

"Taller."

"Well, you know the old sayin' homes, 'big things come in small packages.'"

"So let me get this straight," Cliff said. "You're some cyborg from another dimension and you were brought here by that chick to defeat Cyrus?"

"I still don't understand this predicament," Adray said as he held his forehead.

"You are said to be skilled, yet you wield such crude tools? Do you mock me?" He coughed.

"We like to use our own style."

"I see you do not understand the situation you are in. Very well, enough talk. It's time... to die!"

"Not if we have anything to say about it!" Roger shouted.

The general pulled up two holsters in each hand and both arms split in two. Everyone except Cyrus was in shock. "I see you do not know what these are, seeing you are of a different space-time."

"Explain," Adray said.

"They are light sabers. Light energy weapons that I have collected from Jedi warriors I have defeated." he coughed. "These will be the weapons of choice that I use to slaughter all of you."

"You're sick," Fayt said.

"Why thank you, scum," the general sneered.

"A true warrior does not humiliate one's adversary in such a fashion." Adray stated. "That shows dishonor and disrespect."

"A bold lesson, old one. I'll be sure to give you all an 'honorable' death."

"You're not taking anyone's weaponry," Cyrus said. "Not today. And we ain't dying either."

"We'll see about that," the general hissed. Cyrus turned to General Grievous' theme from the movie and the battle begun. The General jumped up high and the group looked up. As he plummeted down to the ground, the group got out of the droid's way... barely. On his impact, everyone was knocked down to the ground by the force. Even when Fayt and Cyrus jumped, they fell on their backs from the aftershock. The general zeroed in on Fayt and Cyrus spinning both pairs of arms simultaneously. The bottom two were held low and made a burnt trail. As they fended off the general's top pair, the commander began to strike Cyrus with the bottom right arm. Cyrus counterattacked by jamming the revolution. Fayt also jammed the revolution of the bottom left as it was about to strike. "What?" the General yelped. "My sabers should've slice your primitive throwbacks in two."

"Seems Catalysta wanted you to play on an equal field," Cyrus said.

As General Grievous was about to slash at the two with his top right saber, Adray came out of no where and blocked the attack. Unfortunately, they were both thrown back by the adversary's free hand on his top left. General Grievous turned around and saw Nel preparing a symbological attack. "What is this concoction?" he asked himself. As he rushed over instinctively, Nel unleashed her Ice Needles. Unfortunately, the attack bounced off the tactician's armor plating. The spy looked at the general in shock. He grabbed Nel by his left foot and threw her to the three swordsman who were about to get back up, but were knocked down again as she landed on their bodies. Roger used his Flying Torpedo and landed a hit from behind. The general was down. "Ha, that's what you get for messing with my henchmen!"

"Don't sugar-coat it!" Cyrus yelled. Roger did not know that the hybrid droid rose.

Suddenly, the general grabbed the Menodix by the tail with his foot and raised him. The young boy looked up at the commander's cold eyes and nervously laughed. "Insolent little welp." He was thrown into Cliff who was charging at the droid from behind. General Grievous crept close to Cyrus, Nel, Fayt and Adray. "Now to finish you..." he said. While twirling his light sabers, the general slowly opened his chest plate, ready to open fire. Inside, it revealed the cyborg's internal organs including his heart.

"_Bingo!"_ Cyrus thought as an idea popped into his head. He kicked back up and charged up a symbological spell. "Everyone, it's time to heat this sucka up!"

Fayt looked at the opened "I get it." As Fayt prepared for his Blazing Sword, Cyrus launched his Fire Bolt. The attack first darted fast him, the it zoomed back, hitting the supreme commander's organs. Grievous started staggering from the hit. He quickly closed his chamber and notice Fayt charging at the him head on. Before the villain could react, Fayt scored a blow on him. The force sent the droid flying quite a distance, and caused him to fall flat on his back.

"Ha!" Cyrus said. "And they said you learn nothing from the theatres."

Smoke was emanating from General Grievous' body. The two swordsman approached the cyborg just to receive an ugly surprise. The general's eyes quickly opened. He grabbed both teenagers with his feet by the neck and threw them behind him. At the same time, he continued to move his feet back until the claws pierced the ground. He was now standing back up and hacking hard from the onslaught. "You have proven yourself strong adversaries. I guess I'm glad I came here." The two swordsman looked at the droid with sharp glares. "Your skills do rival those of most Jedi I have encountered. You must consider yourselves lucky. You are the first to actually make me fall. Perhaps I could convince you to be at my side to aid the Confederacy. With our powers, there would be no one able to stop us."

"Dream on," Fayt said.

"That's right, we'll never join you or your Confederate crimes."

"I guess it is shame." Grievous coughed. "Your talents would have been put to good use. I guess I'll take your weapons as trophies from our battle..." General Grievous picked up the two by their already sore necks. "I guess it is time to good bye. Don't worry, you'll see your comrades in the afterlife." As the two were getting choked, Cyrus began to chuckle. "Why are you laughing, is death humorous?" General Grievous coughed again.

"No, it's not that. It's just that I remembered something. Hey, Fayt, do you remember that time Nel accidently turned of that 'Light'?"

"Cyrus this isn't..." he stopped speaking as he realized what Cyrus was intending on doing. "Yeah," he said in a long, sly tone. "Which made Roger accidently get poked by a 'Saber.'"

Cyrus had two light sabers in his hands and passed one to Fayt. "So Cliff put the weapon on the lamp and we had a..."

"LIGHT SABER!" They both shouted in unison as they sliced Grievous' arms off and dropped. They caught their breath as the supreme commander was yelling in pain. The General staggered back and saw the two coming. They slashed relentlessly at the hybrid droid whose only defense was to kick back. In about five minutes, the armless robot laid motionless, down and out for good after a double Blazing Sword assault. Cyrus and Fayt kept their light sabers and put them in their pack. A symbol similar to the one General Grievous arrived in returned and he disappeared in its light.

After the light show, Lystara's form reappeared. "Well Cyrus and company, I must congratulate you. For a moment, I thought you were goners."

"Yeah, whatever," Cyrus said. "Now how about you and me, let's go!"

"Patience, Cyrus. All good things must wait before they come to an end."

"Nothing's gonna be ending, 'cept you."

"We'll see. For now, farewell." Lystara's form vanished. The group turned back to Cyrus.

"Man, she's beginning to piss me off," Cliff said.

"Cyrus..." Nel trailed. "What did she mean by 'tell us everything.'"

"I'm afraid now's not the time to talk about that," Cyrus said. "I'll tell you about it later. Right now, we have a war that needs to be won." Cyrus walked off with his head down and his hands in his coat pockets. For the rest of the trip, the group remained silent until they reached the village of Arias.

* * *

Author's Note 1: Did you like that? This will be the first of few. If anyone is interested, you could post another villain that I could use in this story.

* * *

Part 13.3: Chaotic Darkness , Unleashed Destruction

The group of six arrived at Arias. By the time the came through the entrance, a soldier quickly ran to deliver important news. "Ah, Lady Nel—Commander Clair and the others are waiting

for you at headquarters!" the soldier said. "Please hurry." Nel nodded and led the group to the mansion.

"Nel Zelpher reporting, ma'am," she said as they entered the conference room.

"Sit down," Clair said. As they sat Adray came up to her and said, "Well, well, it seems everything is still the same as before."

"F-Father?" Clair said.

"Who did you expect? Nikson?"

"Oh dear," Clair said under her breath. "Please take a seat." Adray went up to the table and sat in one of the chairs. Later on, Clair began to explain the situation to three other commanding officers in the room. "Although the enemy has superiority in numbers, we can fight them from a distance with runological weapons. We'll use runology to deal with the Dragon Brigade, too. If we fought them head on, we'd be playing right into Airyglyph's hands. We must maintain our distance and avoid close combat at all costs. The operations begins at the break of dawn tomorrow. I want all units ready."

"Yes, ma'am," they said in unison before they soluted and left the room.

"Dismissed." The three commanders left the room and Clair turned to Nel. "Nel, I have a separate task for you to carry out, apart from the main force. I want you to break through enemy lines and destroy Airyglyph's command center."

"Vox?"

"That's right." Clair turns to Fayt and the rest of the company. "Fayt, Cliff, Cyrus, I'd also like to

request your assistance if I may."

"Of course," Cliff said. "That's why we're here."

"Sure," Fayt said.

"We gotcha covered," Cyrus said.

"I never meant for you to become so involved in this, but…" Clair trailed.

"We have to involve them," Nel said. "They're a bigger asset in combat than anyone else in my outfit."

"Please don't worry about it," Fayt said. "I have my own reason for wanting to fight, I want to end this war as soon as possible…"

"Right," Cliff said.

"After all, the sooner the better," Cyrus said.

"Okay," Clair said. "Thank you, all of you. Fayt, Cliff, Cyrus. Please assist Nel in her operation."

"Yes ma'am," Cliff said.

"Alright," Fayt responded.

"You got it," Cyrus responded.

"There's still some time before you need to leave. Please make preparations. Check your equipment, and rest if you must. It's all up to you, Nel."

"Leave it to me."

"I'm counting on you." As the group began to leave, Clair called Cyrus over. "Cyrus, may I speak to you for a moment?"

"Ah, sure." Cyrus walked over to the gray haired commander. "So, is there something wrong?"

"No, not really. You see, when it comes to situations like this, my father can get... out of hand. We wanted to try and keep him out of this war seeing that it would be too late to participate in our forces, but he would just end up following you anyway."

"Forgive me for saying this, but let me guess. You would like us to watch over him and make sure he comes back as a whole instead of tiny pieces."

"That's one way of saying it. Be assured, he is a skilled and brilliant fighter."

"Yes, but I guess it doesn't hurt to play it safe, even in the heat of battle. Alright, you have yourself a deal, ma'am."

"Thank you, Cyrus." Clair bowed.

"No need. We're glad to help in any way possible." As Cyrus left the conference room, he felt a strange sensation on both arms. As soon as the strange feeling ceased, Cyrus pushed up a sleeve and was shocked. His symbological markings began glowing for no reason. "Wha- What's happening?" he said in a stunned voice. "Somethin's gonna happen. And I doubt Fayt has any part of this." Then he remembered what would happen after the Vendeeni arrived. At that moment, Fayt's powers had increased. "Or could it?" he asked himself in a worried voice. _"If that will happen to Fayt, will my powers also start to manifest?" _Cyrus thought. _"No way. I shouldn't even worry about that, seeing is that I'm not from here..." _For the whole day, Cyrus shopped for merchandise while listening to his music. He knew he needed a plan to defeat Vox the next day and was thinking about one the whole day. He also went to Dion to ask if he could use any leftover copper for an invention.

"An invention you say?" Dion asked.

"Yes. I'm gonna use the copper to create a lum-less vehicle that can transport the rider on certain terrain. It would help people go to areas a lot quicker than usual."

"That sounds interesting. Are you sure you could create such a method?"

"But of course. I'm Cyrus M. Splicer, engineer of Greeton. With my 230 IQ, the possibility will be a reality, my friend."

"You seem content with this. Very well, then. You may use as much spare copper as you need."

"Thank you, Dion." Cyrus bowed and began training at Irisa Fields. During his training, he couldn't help but the strange sensation._ "Why is this happening?"_ he thought to himself as he stared at his held up hand. He knew that he couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen to him. After his practice, Cyrus returned upstairs and saw Roger. "Yo, Rog."

"Hey, Cyrus."

"So, you ready for the big fight tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I guess... I still don't like what's going on. I mean, how come we're the suicide squad? We may be pretty feared, but isn't this too much?"

"You have a point..."

"I mean, there is a good chance that we'll be killed before we even reach Vox."

"You're right, but never fear. As always, OGC gots a plan. Besides, with our combined force, no one's gonna die anytime soon."

"I still have a bad feeling about this."

Cyrus was silent for a little bit and held his head down. "You're not the only one," he muttered. He turned around and went to the guest room where he saw Fayt, and Cliff.

"Ah, look who's here," Cliff said.

"Are you ready for tomorrow?" Fayt asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Cyrus replied.

"You two might wanna get your rest," Cliff suggested. "It's gonna be a busy day."

"I guess you're right," Fayt agreed. "I'll go early in preparation for tomorrow."

"Besides, there's nothing else to do," Cyrus responded. "I feel like catching some Z's anyways."

"That's probably a good idea," Cliff replied. "The last thing I wanna see is us losing because you didn't get enough sleep."

"Yeah," Cyrus said before he yawned. "How many wars do you know were won because the other side's fighters suffered from narcolepcy."

"That would be embarrassing," Fayt commented.

"Well, good night," Cliff said. The two swordsman laid in the separate beds and were knocked out. The next morning, it was time to go. Fayt, Cliff and Cyrus went to the conference room where Clair was waiting for them.

"Are you all ready to go?" the gray haired commander asked.

"More than we'll ever be," Cyrus said.

"That's right," Fayt replied. "We have no more time to loose."

"Very well," Clair said. "The Runological Unit will also set out shortly. Let's go." Clair led the three warriors to the northern gate where the war was going to be held. The three warriors reunited with their companions as Clair walked up to her army with Tynave and Farleen at each side. "Are the preparations complete? What we do here will determine victory or defeat. If we do not defend this position, they'll take the royal city in one fell swoop. We must stop them here. …Let's do it." She looked at her troop of soldiers. "All units, move out!"

The group was in the battlefield of the Aire/ Kirlsa Hills. "Finally!" Adray shouted in glee. "Take it in people." He inhaled deeply and exhaled. "The whiff of the battlefield. It makes me feel so alive once more."

"Boy, you're a real poet," Roger sneered.

"It's like a scene in the movies," Cyrus said. He changed his voice to a deep tone similar to a film announcer. "In a time where war ravages the land, a young black man and his motley crew must take thier place in history. They must stop overwhelming odds of unstoppable enemies, defeat power-hungry warlords, and unlock the powers within them. In order to survive, they must... keep it real."

Everyone was silent and the sounds of background fighting filled the air. "What are you talking about?" Cliff hollered, breaking the audience.

"I have a feeling that you made all of that up," Fayt said.

"I still don't get this thing about 'keeping it real,'" Roger replied.

"It's a thing you'll learn about when you get older," Cyrus said playfully.

"No time for chit-chat," Nel said. "We have a mission to complete."

"So let's give 'em hell!" Cyrus said. He set his music player to "Imperial City" from Panzer Dragoon Orta. The group charged through the mass of soldiers. On their trek, the group faced heavily armored knights and equally quick lums. Still, the massive opposition was no match for the group's strength.

After a few dragon battles near the base camp, they were in the confronted by the commander of Airyglyph's troop, Lord Vox. "So, you're the ones I've been hearing about… The ones who defeated Albel…"

"So what if we are?" Cliff asked.

"Vox! You die here, now!" Nel yelled.

"You've got a lot of guts, but we'll bury you just the same… Leave these scum to me, men!" Vox said to his soldiers.

"You're calling us scum, you ego-centric chump?" Cyrus yelled. "You're the fool that started this war by falsely accusing Aquaria of assassination. You should go back and get your shoe shine box, fool."

"I see we have us a rebellious spirit," Vox said as he readied his mount, a blue dragon named Tempest. "Don't worry. You'll go first."

"That's what you think," Cyrus said.

"Nel, you ready to put this guy down?" Cliff asked.

"You bet," Nel said.

"Then let's go," Fayt said.

Though he ordered his dragon squadron to stand down, the ground unit kept Adray and Roger busy. Cyrus set his music player to "Rumbling of the Earth" from Baiten Kaitos and the battle started. Cyrus spun his sword in his hand and jumped at the dragon. Duke Vox's dragon was now airborne. The attack connected and Cyrus landed on the ground. The captain began to attack by using his Dragon Brigade Slash. He ran his lance on the ground twice, kicking up sand with each slice. Cyrus was hit by the move, but he was still standing. Fayt and Cliff charged to the aerial adversary, sword ready and fists clench. Vox saw them approaching and commanded his dragon to use Searing Fire Breath. In the nick of time, the trio evaded the attack by jumping high in the air. Cliff used his Hammer of Might on Vox, while Fayt and Cyrus parried slashes. In mid-air, Nel came out of nowhere and delivered more damage to the Dragon Brigade captain. Vox was overwhelmed. It seemed that the battle would be over soon enough, until his armored reptile shot straight up like a giant bullet taking the group with it. As it breached, it also caused a vacuuming. This was Steel Rend and unlike lighting, the attack that came twice. The group, though suffering a hard landing, steadily rose back up. As the dragon approached, the four quickly healed themselves and charged at Vox. Vox was coming at full speed, and aimed straight for Fayt when the four split up. Fayt held his ground as the dragon growled and started to unleash its fire breath again. Before it could even exhale an ember, Cliff struck from the side with Electric Fists. The rally of blows caused the dragon to fall hard on the ground. The dragon showed signs of fatigue. It was all or nothing. Cyrus and Nel double teamed as they launched themselves at Vox. The hit worked at the dragon fell again. The dragon slowly picked itself up and started flying. That was all the dragon could do, seeing it was too weak for anything else.

"You put up a nice fight!" Vox said. "But I wouldn't have it any other way!"

Just then, a Storm Brigade soldier looked up. "Huh? What's that?" he said as a large pink light shot down from the sky.

It slammed into the ground and caused a powerful explosion. "W-what is that?" was the last thing Duke Vox said before he was engulfed in the blast.

The group was knocked onto the ground from the event. "The Dragon Brigade?" Nel asked herself. "No, that's—?"

"It's them..." Cliff said with a scowl.

"No, it can't be," Cyrus said. Out of the clouds of a sunlit sky, the enormous metal of a large ship emerged. It was none other than a Vendeeni War Frigate. Everyone on the ground who was still alive looked up in the sky in awe and shock. Airyglyph's dragons from overhead flocked to investigate the strange vessel.

"What IS that?" Nel asked. "…Something from Greeton?"

"No…" Fayt said. "That's…"

"The Vendeeni..." Cyrus replied.

"Vendeeni...?" Nel said.

"What are they doing all the way out here?" Fayt pondered. "Are they planning on conquering this world?"

"Not to bust your bubble, but don't you think that to be a little cliche?" Cyrus asked.

"Hey!" Cliff said. "We'd better get outta here! I know what THEY're after."

"What do you mean?" Fayt asked.

"You know somethin', homes," Cyrus said.

"Uh, actually..." Cliff was at lost of words.

"Can't it wait?" Nel said. "We need to get back to headquarters. Staying here is not a good idea."

"O-okay!" Fayt stuttered.

"Hey where's Roger and Adray?" Cyrus asked.

"You rang?" a young voice said. The group turned around and saw Roger and Adray.

"Good, the gang's all here," Adray said. "Let's move."

Cyrus and the gang hurried back to the boarder in haste. "Cyrus," Nel called.

"What is it?"

"Do you think this... Vendeeni is stronger than General Grievous is? Are they in leage with him?"

"I don't think so," he said out of respect for the villain. "But I know one thing. These guys ain't fooling around."

"We're almost there!" Fayt said. Suddenly, the group was stopped as they saw the projectiles from the runological weapons fired at the ship. Also, the Dragon Brigade also participated in the assault of the ship. Unfortunately, neither fire power nor fire breath was able to damage it. The ship's shields were absorbing the each hit and fired back ten fold. On the ground, both sides suffered as entire mountain sides were bombarded by the ships artillery. Fireballs that were once dragons and their riders fell from the sky and laid as charred remains. The group made it to the camp, only to find out that the Vendeeni are ravaging the site too. "Dion!" he called out as the Chief Researcher and his comrades were under heavy fire.

"Retreat! Retreat!" Dion yells to the personnel. "Leave the runological weapons where they are! Save your own lives!" Suddenly, a shot from the battleship made close impact. Dion tried to evade the attack, but he suffered serious injury.

"Dion, sir!" a male soldier called as he tried to pick himself, but to no avail and he collapse to the ground, unconscious.

"No, stop… Stop, please…" Fayt begged, while holding his head.

"This... This can't be happening..." Cyrus said as he stared into the unfriendly skies.

Cliff put his hand on Fayt's shoulder. "Yo, snap out of it! Run! You'll both be captured!" he exclaimed.

"Captured? What are you talking about?" Fayt said.

"You do know something!" Cyrus said. "This have something to do with both of us!" He knew why they were after Fayt, but he still has no idea why Cliff said he was searching for Fayt and himself when they first met.

"Wait—they're not—they're not after us, are they?" Fayt stuttered. "Was that why they attacked Hyda? Was that our fault?"

"That can't be, homes!"

"Calm down, Fayt! I can explain—"

"No—I see now," Fayt said. "It is all because of us. Everything… That's why Hyda was attacked! That's why the Helre was attacked! And now Elicoor, too! It's all our fault!"

"_I can't believe it," _Cyrus thought. _"All this time, I thought all this is because Fayt was wanted by the Vendeeni. But now, after hearing what Cliff said, I don't know if this is solely about Fayt anymore."_

"I said calm down! Listen to me!" As Cliff was about to put his hand on Fayt's shoulder again, the blue- haired swordsman smacked his hand away.

"What do they want me for? Why do they want me enough to kill so many innocent people? Who—who the hell am I?" Suddenly, the strange symbol appeared above Fayt's head as well as strange symbols flashing on his arms. A larger design appeared on the ground. As the marking began to appear, a celestial entity, angel-like in appearance formed from Fayt's body. As it lifted its arms, another symbol ring appeared, launching a powerful beam at the ship. Rings of power surrounded the Vendeeni ship and before long... it was gone, without a trace. Fayt collapsed on the ground as the manifestation began to cease. The symbol on his forehead slowly disappeared.

Cliff rushed toward him as was Nel, until a loud yell came from Cyrus holding his head as the symbols on his arms started flashing through his coat's sleeve. Nel rushed over to Cyrus as quick as possible, but she was too late. A dark aura had surrounded Cyrus and threw Nel back. Out of nowhere, large wings like those of a bat sprouted from his back and the aura that engulfed Cyrus like a flame now became a pillar of darkness. Ripples of waves began appearing by the dark power Cyrus could not control. He was levitating a few feet above the ground now, wings stretched wide. From the pillar, balls of dark energy began to bombard the ground, causing more destruction to the field. Cliff took Fayt and, with the rest of the gang in toe, hid behind equipment that was out of a five mile radius. It wasn't long before his wings started to retract and the dark pillar closed up. Cyrus, dropped to the ground of the disappearing symbological design. The markings on his arms stopped flashing and he laid unconsciously.

"Cyrus!" Nel yelped as she and the rest of the group rushed to help him. It seemed that he was knocked out cold, just as Fayt was.

"That power... I've never anticipated either of them to be so strong..." Cliff mumbled. As Adray took Cyrus' arm and put it over his shoulder, the group carried the unconscious duo back to Aquios.

Meanwhile, on a cliff near the closest mountain, Lystara watched the event. Her straight smile became a half smirk. "Yes," she said. "Cyrus' powers are maturing. This is intriguing, indeed. I guess I need a new game plan if I am to compete with such a rival." With that said, Lystara opened a portal and entered. She disappeared without a trace.


	15. Chapter 14

Part 14.1: Revelations

Cyrus was still unconsious out from the event that took place. Not only has Fayt's powers started to manifest, but Cyrus' have also matured after being triggered by the blue-haired swordsman's Destruction gene. Though he was supposedly knocked out on Elicoor II, the dream Cyrus had felt more like he was in another reality. In his supposed "dream", Cyrus was in a large and strange lab. "What happened?" Cyrus asked himself. "Where am I?"

He looked around the room and saw a tall man with black hair and glasses speaking to another man who was blonde. "Has the Executioner program been installed?" the blonde man asked.

"Yes it has, sir."

"Excellent, Azazer. In moments, that Milky Way sector will be deleted. Soon, we'll be able to stop this anomaly before it spreads to the rest of the Eternal Sphere."

"What of those pests in the lab, sir? It seems that they're causing more harm than good."

"Don't worry. Once I'm finish with this little problem, I'll have a little talk with my sister. Now go."

"Yes, sir."

Azazer left the room and Luther turned around to face Cyrus. "Ah, I bid you welcome, young Splicer."

"Wha- How do you know...?"

"Of course, how could I be so rude. I am Luther Lansfeld, creator of Sphere Company's leading game: the Eternal Sphere. Follow me, please." Luther went toward a large computer and Cyrus followed. "You see, every and all new data is added and stored onto my computer. Every name, every character, every thing whatsoever is monitored on here. You, however, are a unique specimen."

"Where have I heard that before?" Cyrus said to himself.

"You see, a while ago, we encountered an unknown virus residing within the Milky Way galaxy, the area you're playing now. Since then, we've been trying to find out the cause of this unknown issue. A few days later, we discovered that new character accounts popped out of nowhere. An hour passed when we were trying to track it. Then we found that another anomaly was created. When we searched the records of this newer account, we've made a remarkable discovery. The new data we had was none other than yourself."

"Wha-! Well this is awkward."

"At first, we thought that you were some sort of hacker who illegally created a character, but there was no evidence of hacking or any new software being used. We found it interesting that you two show almost the same character data. With such similarities of both power and internal workings, our programmers, as well as myself thought you were both the cause of these problems. That was before we witnessed your battle with that entity."

"You mean the General," Cyrus said. "So what's your point?"

"We figured we can help you in your vendetta against the other abnormality. Someone such as yourself has sparked an interest, even in our top research departments."

"Why would you want to help me? And why am I here, man? What's the point of all this?"

"I want you to have this." Luther handed Cyrus a small chip with 4D Writing.

"What's this?"

"That data is used to render the Executioner's data. With that, you're character will be able to defeat them like any other program within the Eternal Sphere. It will also modify your weapon and protect your data from an anti-Executioner software that my meddlesome sister is inventing."

"Why give me this, homes? Wouldn't it be simpler to just delete me? And you still haven't answered my question."

"Now, now. You're too important for deletion, at the moment. For now, we need your assistance for defeating this... Lystara for us and taking care of this dilemma. Perhaps, you may be able to help us against the virus."

"_I don't trust him," _Cyrus thought. _"Though, there must be some other reason why he gave me this enhancement chip. But why?" _He turned back to Luther with a stern face. "I still don't understand, Luther. At the moment it doesn't look like I have a choice."

"Excellent, now it is time for you to go back." With that being said, Luther pressed a button on his console and Cyrus blacked out.

He slowly opened his eyes and realized he was back in Aquaria. "Ah..." he moaned as he felt aches and pains all over his body.

"I see you're back," Nel said. "What a relief."

"Yeah, or whatever is left..."

"How are you feeling?" Cliff asked.

"I think I was just torn to shreds and pieced back together like a puzzle."

"Lady Nel," a male soldier called.

"How is Dion doing?" Nel asked.

"Not well..."

"I see..." Suddenly, a moan was heard and Fayt begins to regain his consciousness. "Oh…you're awake," she says as Fayt starts coming to. "What a relief. I thought you might not ever wake up again."

"Where am I?" Fayt asked.

"Castle Aquaria," Cliff said. "We're back. It looks like the Airyglyph soldiers went back home, too. Now's not the time for war."

"And the Vendeeni...?"

"Don't worry about them," Nel replied. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm all…argh… I'm aching all over! And Dion… Is Dion okay?"

"He's been seriously injured. He's still breathing…but it doesn't look good."

"Oh no, I promised Ameena I'd make sure he got home safely!" still suffering from the pain, Fayt slowly rose up.

"Wait, you should stay in bed," Nel suggested.

"She's right," Cliff said upon agreement. "You're not in such great shape yourself, you know."

"I'm more worried about Dion right now," Fayt responded. "Where is he?"

Nel hesitated at first, but she knew she wasn't able to stop him even if she tried. "He's in a private room across from the fabrication room."

"Alright then," Cyrus said with a straining voice as he got up. "Let's go."

"You too?" Cliff said.

"Hey, a little mobility never killed anyone... That I know of," he mumbled. "Besides, I never liked sitting out from stuff."

"Alright, let's go!" Fayt said.

As the group proceeded through the halls Cyrus asked Fayt, "Hey, do you remembered what happened?"

"You mean during the war?"

"That's right."

"I don't know. I only remember that the Vendeeni ship disappeared. How about you?"

"Well, I don't remember too much. My memory only goes to the time the Vendeeni showered us with its cannon shots. After that, it's all a blank."

"What do you think happened?"

"I... I don't remember, dog."

The group made it to Dion's room only to see his frail body laying in his bed with a runologist trying to treat him. "Dion!" Fayt yelled as he saw his comrade lie wounded.

"I'm sorry, but you'll have to keep your voice down," the healer advised. "He just fell asleep."

"I'm sorry… How is he, doctor?"

"Well, he's stabilized a little bit, but he's still in grave danger. Whatever attacked him, it injured him so greatly that healing is impossible. We don't have the tools to help him!"

"No… Dion, hang in there! I'm bringing Ameena to see you!"

"Wait!" Cyrus said as he got in Fayt's way. "Do you really think Ameena should see her friend in such turmoil?"

"Cyrus, this is the last time she might ever see him again!" Fayt yelped. "How would you feel if you never said good-bye to someone in his condition? Besides, we should do something right. After all, it's our fault that any of this happened to begin with."

Cyrus thought about what he was doing and what Fayt said. _"I hate it when Fayt starts acting like this. But, he's right. How can one live with themselves if they stopped someone from seeing their dying loved one. Wait, why am I doing this? I can't interfere any more than I already have. I must do this. Not just for morality, but the last thing I need is to cause any other unnecessary problems."_ Cyrus backed off and allowed Fayt to continue his business. When Fayt was gone, Cyrus laid against the wall outside Dion's doorway.

Nel carefully approached Cyrus as it seemed he was pondering about something. "Cyrus..." All the young swordsman did was take a glance at the Crimson Blade spy and returned to his deep thought. "As you can see, the attack has left Dion mortally wounded."

"I know..." Cyrus said.

"I wonder..."

"About what?"

"Those foes we've faced recently. First Lystara, then General Grievous and now this... Vendeeni. If they're not from Greeton, then where? And why are they here?"

"I'll be real with you. Lystara is someone that I'm trying to hunt down. Remember she killed my mentor in cold blood. The General was not even supposed to be here and I don't actually know what the Vendeeni want. The last thing I heard before we were knocked out was Cliff talking about us being captured."

"Do you think they really came for you two?"

"I don't know, Nel. I just don't know..."

Footsteps were heard from around the corner and two figures approached. It was Fayt as he walked Ameena to Dion's room. Cyrus and Nel entered in afterwords. "Dion..." Ameena said before she coughed. She walked over to Dion's bed and knelt beside it.

" Amee…na… I'm sorry… I couldn't…keep…promise…" Dion responded as best he could with his weakening body. Ameena tightly holds Dion's hand.

"Lady…Nel. Please… That…box…" Nel looked over at the chest walked over. She opened it to reveal its contents: a flowered lei being the Wishing Charm.

"This?" Nel asked as she held it up.

Dion nodded. "I promised…to end…this war… So I could see you…in Airyglyph…again…"

"I know…" Ameena said. "Please, you must rest!" She coughed again.

"I couldn't end the war… But…I saw you again… It's…all I ever wished for."

"Dion… That was my wish too."

"I'm glad…I saw you again."

"Me, too."

"Amee...na." Dion hand falls onto the bed as Ameena released it.

Fayt was in shock. "No… This can't be happening! Dion! Doctor!" The doctor checked for any signs of life, but to no avail. She shakes her head to signal that Dion was no longer of this world. "No… After all this time! You had you whole lives ahead of you! Ameena, I failed you. This is all my fault. Ameena…?" Ameena remained silent, still knelt down by Dion's side. "Ameena...?" Fayt called again. Without warning, Ameena's head lowered. "No..." he said out of disbelief. The body of the once living Ameena collapsed closer to the now deceased body of Dion. Everyone was silent, Fayt could not believe this was happening. "Nooooooooooo!" Cyrus was incredulous as well. He didn't know how much this event would impact him. In some way, Cyrus was growing more and more attached to the Eternal Sphere. That was something he knew couldn't be control.

Cyrus and Fayt walked back to the guest room. Depressed, Fayt sat on his bed, still unable to grasp all that's happened. "Fayt, I... I don't know what to say..."

"There's nothing to say," Fayt responded in grief. "It's our fault that Dion and Ameena died. They had their whole lives ahead of them. All because we came here."

"Oh... Fayt cut it out!" Cyrus yelled. Fayt looked at Cyrus in surprise. "Don't you see, home boy? Everything happens for a reason! It's destiny. Nothing is truly changed just because someone comes along, just altered. It was going to happen at anytime, it was inevitable! You can't blame yourself for something like this."

"Were you in the room when this happened?" Fayt shouted. "Those two died because of us. It's all our fault. This never would have happened if we hadn't come here."

"Fayt..."

"No. It's not your fault, or Cyrus'," Cliff said as he entered the room.

"Isn't it, though?" Fayt asked in an upset tone. "The Vendeeni came here for us! Who are we? Why do the Vendeeni want us so badly?"

"You know, he has a point," Cyrus said. "What are you hiding from us? Why are those cartiligious chumps after us, anyway?"

Cliff became silent. "Look, we know you know something!" Fayt said.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Nel said with her back against the wall, "but those things—the Vendeeni—what are they?"

"All right," Cliff said hesitantly. "You guys are part of this now, anyway. Those guys, the Vendeeni, they—" Cliff was suddenly cut off by a male soldier who arrived at the scene.

"We've got trouble!" he said. "Another one of those weapons has appeared in the sky!"

"What?" Nel said in shock.

"Damn!" Cliff shouted. The Klausian quickly rushed to the Balcony as quick as he could. Nel turned back around with gritted teeth.

"Is this too an Arrow of Apris?" asked Queen Aquaria XXVII as she walked over to the room.

"Your Majesty, why are you still here?" Nel demanded. "Please, you've got to get to a safe place right away!"

"Lately, it seems that hiding does not help," the queen said. "Is anywhere truly safe now? You know what that thing is, do you not?" Both Fayt and Cyrus remained silent. "Is it a weapon from Greeton?"

"No, it's not," Fayt said.

"Then what is it?" Nel yelled. "What is a Vendeeni?"

"I'll explain, your majesty," Cyrus said. "You see, the Vendeeni are a..."

"Hey, come here a second!" Cliff called. Nel, Cyrus and Fayt rushed to the balcony as quick as possible. During their trip, the trio passed by Adray and Roger.

"Hey guys..." Roger called.

"No time to explain, just come!" Cyrus said.

"It must be serious..." Adray pondered.

"Let's go!" Roger said hastily. As soon as they arrived, they saw another battle cruiser cutting through the skies over the castle.

"I ain't an expert, or anything," Cyrus started, "but this don't look good."

"Damn!" Cliff said. "What now?"

"We'll give myself up." Everyone looked at Fayt in astonishment. Not even Cyrus believed what he said. "Then they'll leave."

"What?" Cyrus shouted.

"Fayt, no!" Mirage said.

"That's enough of that," Cliff said out of anger. "You say that again and I swear I'll smack you one."

"Cliff, calm down," Mirage said. "Anger won't solve anything! But he's right, Fayt."

"Let me handle this. Are you freakin' crazy!" Cyrus shouted. "We can't give ourselves up! So what if we surrender, you really think that they'll go back home and not blow this place to kingdom come? I'd rather fight those dogfish douchebags than have 'em make a monkey out of me!"

"How do you plan on doing that?" Fayt argued. "We're out gunned. This country's military doesn't stand a chance against the Vendeeni ships!" An idea suddenly shot in Fayt's head and he turned to Nel. "Hey… But you chased away the Vendeeni ship before! Why not do it again?"

"Huh? But—" Nel cut herself off.

"It's as I thought," Mirage said.

Cliff sighed. "You don't remember a thing, do you?"

"What are you talking about?" Fayt said.

"What's there to remember?" Cyrus asked. "We were in a war zone and the ship left... Or... I think it left... How did I end up in a bed?"

"Scratch that," Cliff said. "Both of you don't remember."

Nel saw another ship approaching. "Wait—another one's coming!" Nel yelped.

The two Klausians looked up and showed faces of relief. "Cliff!" Mirage called with a smile on her face.

"Yep, it's them, alright. Finally," Cliff said in relief. In the sky, it wasn't a bird, and it was definitely not a plane. It was another Cutter, which meant one thing: the cavalry has arrived. The new ship was under fire by the numerous shots by the Vendeeni ship. Luckily, the Cutter shot back, crippling the ship. Unfortunately, the Vendeeni ship retaliated by shooting at one of the wings. Now both ships were plummeting down.

"Well, so much for the rescue party," Cyrus said.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," a mysterious, young voice said.

"Hey, took you long enough," Cliff said as they turned around.

Everyone except for Cliff and Mirage were surprised. It was a young woman with long blue hair and green eyes. She wore black and white skirt. "Sorry," she said.

"Yeah, well—hey, is it even safe to transport to a place like this?"

"I scanned the situation before coming in, so I had a good idea what to expect," she said as she walked down and pushed her hair back. "At least, now that this planet's part of this mess, we don't have to hide anything anymore."

"True enough. But I bet you that Mr. Super-Square, champion of the UP3 would disagree with you."

"Hah hah, very funny," Fayt said in a sarcastic attitude.

"Children, children, grow up," Cyrus said. "Now back to business. Who's the girl, Cliff?"

"Ah, yeah. Sorry. I'm slacking in my introductions. This here is the leader of Quark, Maria."

"What?" Fayt exclaimed.

"I'm gonna go in to a General Grievous moment here," Cyrus said. "I expected her to be a little... older."

"I'm Maria Traydor. But please, call me Maria."

Fayt was speachless. Cyrus, who may have forgot what happened a few hours ago, didn't forget everything. So he just said a deep and lengthened "Whoa!" He regained his composure. "It is an honor to meet you, Maria," he said with a formal bow.

"Nice to meet you," Fayt said after he regained his vocabulary. "I'm..."

"I know who you are. Fayt Leingod. The only son of the universal authority on symbological genetics, Professor Robert Leingod. Born on Earth, currently nineteen years of age. Favorite sport: basketball, position: point guard. Your favorite food is—"

"Hang on just a second, how do you know so much about me…?"

"I did some research."

"Alright," Cyrus said. "Then try me?"

"Cyrus Splicer. The oldest of two sons of world renowned paleo-biologist of the Cretaceous, Professor Cyrus Splicer, Sen. Born on Earth, currently fifteen years of age. Favorite sport: street fighting, style: martial arts. Your favorite—"

"Ok, you win!" Cyrus quickly said. _"How does she know this stuff?" _he thought. Then he remembered what Luther said about the new account. _"Wait. As soon as I entered this dimension, my background information must have also been entered in the computers of this universe and created as a personal account in 4D Space. This is complicated seeing I'm nearly eight hundred years from my supposed time. Then again this is sorta cool."_

"Are you alright?" Fayt asked.

"Duh... Never better. Just had somethin' on the mind."

Nel approached Maria with a suspicious look on her face. "Is somebody going to explain this? What's going on? Who is she—how did she just appear here? So, I take it you're not all from Greeton after all? Come on, answer me. No more concealing the truth."

"That is enough, Lady Nel," the Queen said as she arrived at the balcony.

"But, your majesty..."

"I said that is enough."

"Yes, your majesty."

The queen toward Maria to strike up a conversation. "I know not who you are, but it is certain that you are one of their acquaintances," she said. "I would hear an explanation of you now, one that makes sense to my ears."

"Please forgive my rudeness, your Majesty," Maria apologized, "but would it be all right if we talked among ourselves first? We have a lot of catching up to do. I will explain all of the deatils and how the facts are connected afterwards; that I promise."

"…So be it." The queen looked back at Nel. "Show them to the conference room."

"... Yes, your majesty," Nel said hesitantly.

Nel led the group to an empty conference room. Cyrus, Fayt, Mirage, Cliff and Maria entered the room. "Um... Ms. Traydor," Fayt started.

"Please, just Maria's fine. If I may call you Fayt or you Cyrus."

"Well, Mr. Splicer feels a bit too formal for me," Cyrus commented.

"Oh, all right then," Fayt started. "Maria, please tell us what happened. Why did the Vendeeni capture my dad? Why are they after us? …What is it about us that they're so interested in?"

"Yeah," Cyrus said. "I mean, what would those fish-faced freaks want with us?"

"Relax, there's no need to rush things, and there's much to explain. But first…" Maria turned around to Cliff. "His powers manifested, didn't they?"

"They did, just once. He was stronger than expected. Particularly, his destructive capabilities are far beyond yours. Also, it seems Cyrus has the same power as well."

"Cyrus too?" Maria said in shock. "How unexpected. How about their memories?"

"Nah. The whole thing was completely wiped form their minds."

"I see..."

"What in the world are you guys talking about?" Fayt asked.

"What do you mean by destructive capabilities and me with this power?" Cyrus questioned. "What is there to remember? Is this one of those surprises? I'm afraid you missed my birthday."

"I assure you this isn't a trick," Maria said. "It's just that I didn't know that you also had this power as well." Cyrus was silent in confusion and knew what Maria was talking about. "Just a moment—First, I have some new information. It's not exactly good news…" Fayt was shocked. "You know that your father, Professor Leingod, was captured by the Vendeeni, right?"

"Yes..."

"We have learned, after investigating the situation, that your friend, Sophia, was captured as well."

"What?"

"That can't be right!" Cyrus exclaimed. "They really took her?"

"I'm afraid so," Maria said. "They grabbed her after the two of you escaped from the Helre."

"They got Sophia? Noooo!" a frustrated Fayt shouted as he kicked the ground. "But what do the Vendeeni want with them?"

"You really have no idea, do you?"

"So tell us what's going on!" Fayt responded.

"Fine. Your father took it upon himself to carry out forbidden research."

"Forbidden research?"

"That's right. He researched and designed a genetically modified, living weapon—forbidden by the laws of the Pangalactic Federation."

"My father? I can't believe it!"

"Of course he didn't talk about it. Other than those involved, only the top levels of the Federation government knew anything."

"Then how come you know about it?"

"I was one of his…guinea pigs."

"What...?" Fayt shouted.

"_Man, this story is filled with drama and suspense," _Cyrus thought to himself. _"Even though I know all this stuff, what I really want to know is what Maria knows about me. I get how my information appeared on the database, but I really want to see why she researched it in the first place."_

"My dad… I-I can't believe this!" Fayt shouted. "Living weapons? You…a guinea pig? You just look like an ordinary girl!" he screeched, scratching his head, painted with a face of utter confusion.

There was a brief pause. "Exactly," Maria said flatly. "Watch this." Maria held her hand towards three vases; a strange symbological essence blanketed each object. She then pulled out her gun and shot at the intend target. On either side however, two vases on each side were shot instead. The one with symbology evoked however remained intact.

"What...?" Fayt said.

"This is the power I received from the symbological genetic modifications that Professor Leingod and his lab performed on me. I possess the ability to manipulate the structure of matter," Maria explained. "So…still think I'm an ordinary girl?"

"Uh... Yeah, sure..." Cyrus said.

"And not just to me."

"What?"

"I wasn't the only one they modified. Another came before me—I was the second subject."

"What are you saying?"

"The first subject…was you."

"Me? The first subject? What are you talking about? My dad would never do something like that to me!"

"I can understand if you don't believe me. Your power hasn't fully awakened yet. But if I'm not telling the truth, can you explain the thing for me? Who knocked that Vendeeni battleship out of the sky? Why are the Vendeeni so relentless in going after you and everyone else related to the Leingods? Everyone who was there knows the answers to these questions… Everyone but you, that is."

"Well..."

"I know you don't want to admit it, but there's only one truth. I'm going to steal the Professor and everyone else back from the Vendeeni and ask him why he did what he did. But to do this, I need your help, Fayt. I can't do it alone…" Fayt was pondering about what Maria had just said. "I wouldn't expect you to object to saving your father and Sophia… I know how important they are to you."

"All right. I'll help you."

"All right, now that we're decided…"

"Hold the phone!" Cyrus said. "You still haven't answered me. You said that you wanted to talk to both of us, right? Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to be selfish. Still, when some alien race is after you and are willing to destroy an entire civilization, you would like to know what's up. I want to help you save your dad, Fayt, but first thing's first. I want the answers to why the Vendeeni are after me and how 'n why you looked up my information in the first place."

"Alright, I'll tell you," Maria said. "Can you remember anything before the time you blacked out?"

"Maybe..." Cyrus said. "I remember that before the war started, the symbols on my arms started glowing."

"Glowing..." Fayt repeated.

"Yeah, it was weird."

"Then what happened?" Maria asked.

"Well, the time after the Vendeeni came, it's all a blur. The next thing I knew, I was back in Aquios. Wait! You don't think I was an experiment do you?"

"I doubt it," Maria said. "I checked Dr. Leingod's research. There was no third subject used."

"_That's what you read,"_ Cyrus thought. "Alright. But something still tells me that's not why you wanted to see me."

"You're correct. Before the Vendeeni came and raided Hyda IV, a space-time disturbance was detected on the planet's surface."

"Space... Time... Like a wormhole?" Cyrus asked anxiously.

"Perhaps. But that's not even the strange part. Around the same time the anomaly occurred, a mysterious file suddenly turned up on the Pangalactic Federation's database."

"Really?"

"Yes, and by hacking into the computers of the Federation, that's how I learned about you. Unfortunately, the Vendeeni must've also obtained this information."

"Ok, so my data was suddenly found in a high class computer and a small flux appeared on a surface of a soon-to-be-destroyed planet. That doesn't explain everything."

"Wait, Cyrus," Fayt said. "You and I first met on Hyda before the Vendeeni attacked. You were confused and didn't even know how you arrived at the resort anyway."

"Alright, so you got me."

"And the Vendeeni would've too if you didn't travel with Fayt," Maria said. "The only possible, yet unbelievable explanation for the anomaly, the rise of the unknown data file and your spontaneous appearance."

"And that is..."

"You're not from this space-time at all. You maybe from a completely different universe."

"Are you serious?" Cyrus asked in a skeptical voice. "That's impossible. The chances of something like is... really, really low."

"Frankly, that's the only reason I could think of for why the Vendeeni are after you."

"_Great,"_ Cyrus thought. _"So Maria's known all this time and the Vendeeni are wanting me because of this discovery._"

"Is that true?" Fayt asked.

There was a brief pause as Cyrus had to figure a way out of this. _"I'll have to keep this under wraps. I can't tell 'em where I'm from or why I'm here. Not yet anyway."_ "This is just a coincidence," Cyrus said. "I mean, do you guys actually think that I'm from another dimension, like General Grievous was?"

"No, of course not," Fayt said.

"It seems to me that the fishes are a little power hungry trying to control space-time, if you know what I mean. Lost a few tissues for a cerebellum."

"Well, now that this resolved..." Maria signaled Cliff to open the door. Cliff slowly approached knowing there was someone behind it. He quickly opened the door and as fast as it moved, the person on the other side was even faster. It was none other than Nel Zelpher, listening in on the conversation.

"Nel!" Fayt said in surprise.

"It doesn't matter if she heard us," Maria said.

Cliff threw his arms up and Nel entered the room. "So, how are we getting off this rock?" Cliff asked.

"I made arrangements. I came in a small ship to avoid the Vendeeni. The Diplo will be arriving later. Everything else is up to Marietta's skills."

"Your preparations are thorough, as always."

"Yes, well, we still have a lot of problems to deal with."

"That's right," Fayt said in agreement. "Even if your ship can make it, how do we know the Vendeeni won't interfere?"

"Right…" Maria said. "Entering orbit, transporting, and warping out will take a total of five minutes."

"Even our flagship will have trouble withstanding five minutes of concentrated fire from the Vendeeni," Mirage inquired.

"So it seems that we're at a quandary," Cyrus said. "Our plans are limited and they all include the same unfortunate fate. Either the Vendeeni are going to invade the land and destroy everything in their path on their search for us. Or, they're gonna bombard your ship while you're trying to transport us up to safety. Both scenarios resulting in an excruciating and painful death, none of which are pretty."

"Aren't you an optimist," Cliff said.

"Exactly," Maria said. "The ideal solution would be to create some diversion from the ground as well. But…with the technology available on this planet, that will be difficult. Still, we must think of something."

"If only Fayt and Cyrus could control their powers," Cliff said in a low tone.

"Even I can't completely control my power… Either way, we need a sure thing if we're going to pull this off. Mirage, what's the strongest and most effective weapon on this planet? I'm not saying we need to use it to break through the Vendeeni shield. All we'd need to do is buy some time while they reevaluate our military capabilities."

Mirage thought for a minute. "Hmmm… Our best option is Aquaria's runological weapons."

"Hey, what about Dion's weapon?" Cliff asked.

"You mean the Thunder Arrow?" Fayt said.

"That's the one?"

"I don't know how much damage it could do to the Vendeeni battleship, but as far as I know, it's the most powerful weapon on this planet."

"All right, then let's start making preparations immediately," Maria said.

"The thing is, it's still under development. It's not ready for actual combat. And I doubt its range is long enough to reach the Vendeeni ship."

"To add to the mix, the armament is Aquaria's property. We can just expect them to hand to us without complications."

"The Vendeeni—you mean the one's from before?" Nel said.

"That's right," Fayt said.

"They're coming back?"

"There's no doubt about that," Maria inquired.

"And you need our Thunder Arrow to fight them?"

"That's about the size of it," Cliff answered.

"All right, I'll talk to the queen about it."

"Really?" Cyrus asked. "Are you sure 'bout that?"

"Honestly, I don't really understand the situation," Nel said with her arms folded. "One thing I do know: if that celestial ship comes back again, it will cause another catastrophe. And… I believe the two of you are worthy of my trust."

"Thank you," Cyrus said.

"Regardless, we did promise the queen that we'd explain the situation to her," Cliff said.

"I don't think she'll be as easy to convince," Fayt inquired.

"From what's been happenin', I don't think she has much choice," Cyrus said. The group left the room and were accompanied by Roger and Adray. Cyrus put on his earphones and began humming to "Who We Be," by DMX. The crew headed to the throne room, where a patient Queen awaits.

As soon as they arrived, Nel bent down to the Queen. "Your Majesty, they said they would explain the situation."

The group explained the situation to the Queen as best as they could. About how they came from other worlds and that the Vendeeni were after Fayt and Cyrus. "Very well," the Queen said.

"You say you're from another world—You ask us to believe this?" Lasselle bickered. "Nonsense! Stop wasting Her Majesty's time!"

"Silence Lasselle!" Queen Romeria commanded.

"Your Majesty!"

Cyrus turned around and saw Adray with a smirk of glee. Cyrus was also thinking of this being humorous and grinned as well. _"I like her,"_ he thought to himself. _"If her majesty didn't stop him, I'm thinking Lasselle would've gotten the bitch-slap of his life."_

"I understand your surprise, but what we speak is the truth," Maria said.

"This is quite sudden, not to mention quite difficult to believe," her Highness stated. "However, recent events in our country leave me with no choice but to believe."

"Your Majesty, these people can be trusted," Nel said. "I believe they are telling the truth."

"And…you say this new enemy will return again? Why would that be?"

"I think that we're their objective," Cyrus said.

"So, you are the cause of this entire affair?"

"I don't want to believe it myself… But yes," Fayt said.

"Then all we have to do is hand you over to them!" Lasselle boasted. "Then they will go home, no?"

"Lasselle, you are to remain silent!" the Queen ordered.

"Your Majesty..."

"Ha ha. Lassie gots the second degree burn," Cyrus muttered to himself.

"Can we fight these…Vendeeni with our Thunder Arrow?" the Queen asked.

"I can't be sure, but I believe so," Fayt said. "The Thunder Arrow would divert the Vendeeni long enough for us to leave the planet…and fix this situation."

"For the sake of our country, it might indeed be best to simply hand you over to them. However, you are our guest. It would not be proper for us to abandon you now."

"Your Majesty, you mean--?" Nel was at lost of words.

"Yes. We shall let you use the Thunder Arrow."

"Your Majesty, thank you very much!" Fayt said.

"We are grateful, Your Majesty."

"Yes," Cyrus said. "It seems like we're back in business, ladies 'n gentlemen."

"Yeah, but what are you gonna do about the range problem?" Cliff asked. "It's not much good to us if we can't reach them."

"Yeah, I know," Fayt said.

"We've got a problem!" yelled a soldier. Her face was painted in fear and concern as she ran into the room.

"Watch your tone!" Lasselle snapped. "You are in the presence of Her Majesty, the Queen!"

"Someone has infiltrated Kaddan!"

"What?"

"Who?" the Queen asked when she immediately stood up.

"It was one of those celestial ship, Your Majesty. They landed right next to the shrine! We believe they're headed for the Sacred Orb!"

"The Sacred Orb?"

"They wear a strange kind of armor and are equipped with weapons that emit glowing beams of light! The runologists have them stopped for the moment, but they can't do anything against those weapons! At this rate, they'll be at the Sacred Orb in no time!"

"Glowing weapons..." Maria pondered for a second until she realized what the weapon was. "Those would be disruptor rifles. They must be remnants of the Vendeeni fleet."

"That ain't good," Cyrus said.

"If that's the case, why are they going after the Orb, instead of us?" Cliff asked.

"What's Kaddan? And what's this Sacred Orb?" Fayt asked the Queen

"Kaddan is the holy land of our church," Nel began to explain. "It's where the Sacred Orb is enshrined– a mysterious sphere that emits the purest light. Holy water flows freely from it. It is said that in the hands of Aquaria's ruler, the Orb is capable of all kinds of miracles. The water of this lake which surround Aquios are also of the Sacred Orb."

Maria began thinking about the information Nel gave them. "Hmm ... Your Majesty, which way is Kaddan?"

"To the east of Aquios..."

Maria crouched to the direction of the shrine and pulled out her scanner. She began to look into the energy that was being emitted from the Orb. "I see. Interesting," she muttered.

She signaled Mirage to look at the current data. "What in the world?" the blonde woman said in surprise.

Maria put away the scanner and got up. "What is it?" Cliff asked.

"I'm picking up an energy reading in the location you described that is too technologically advanced for this planet..." Maria said. "It's even beyond our ability to identify."

"What?" Fayt said.

"Ain't that somethin'," Cyrus said.

"It may be a so-called 'Out of Place Artifact,' or OPA," Maria said. "I bet the Vendeeni detected this Sacred Orb while they were searching for us."

"So do you think they're after the Sacred Orb?" Nel asked.

"It's the most likely explanation. If you look back at history, anyone who got their hands on OPAs acquired incredible power. It would pretty much go without saying they'd want it."

"That's terrible!" Lasselle shrieked. "We can't let them steal our Sacred Orb! Your Majesty, we must send soldiers immediately!"

"Yes," Queen Romeria said in agreement. "Take your unit and make for Kaddan at once."

"Your Majesty," Nel said in compliance.

"Please wait a moment, Your Majesty," Fayt said.

"We are sorry, but we must attend to your business later. Responding to these thieves must take precedence."

"That's what I'm saying: I don't think Aquaria's military could stand up to them with their current equipment."

"We are aware of this, but we cannot let them steal the Sacred Orb."

"Look, I'll go to Kaddan."

"What are you thinking?" Nel asked.

"Have you really lost yo' mind?" Cyrus asked.

"Cyrus, it's our fault that the Vendeeni ever came here in the first place. We have to except responsibility, somehow."

"Hey, wait a second," Cliff said. "You mean 'we,' right? You plannin' on going there alone?"

"He's right," Maria said in agreement. "Going alone would be suicidal. If you die, then I've come here for nothing. I'm going too."

"Exactly," Cyrus said. "Sure the Vendeeni came for us, I ain't denyin'. But that don't mean we gonna surrender. All for one and one for all, ya heard?"

"Thank you," Fayt said.

"Very well," Queen Romeria said. "Then we shall leave it to you."

"Your Majesty," Nel said. "I'll go with them as well."

"Yes. Please do. As the situation is grave, we give you permission to use the Sealed Cavern. Show them the way."

"The Sealed Cavern?"

"Yes, it is a place in which only members of the royal family are allowed– but I'm making an exception... Do not fail us."

"Your Majesty!"

"Don't worry, your highness," Cyrus said with an optimistic voice. "That Secret Orb will be safe and sound. Them fools at the shrine got no skill!"

"I thank you," the Queen said. "The fate of Aquaria rests in your hands."

The group left the throne room and headed down stairs to the church. Inside, Nel walked to the podium and used her "runology." In no time at all, a symbol appeared on the floor at the center of the room and a tremor was felt. As soon as the quake stopped, a staircase was revealed. "Whoa..." Cliff said as he saw the passage emerged.

"...A secret passage," Maria said.

"I never thought I'd live to actually see something like this," Adray said to himself.

"The Sealed Cavern lies ahead," Nel said. "It's an underground passage that will take us to the Shrine of Kaddan. It was built long ago as a way for the royal family to travel to the Shrine, but it hasn't been used for several centuries. It's the fastest way to reach Kaddan, for it passes directly under the lake. We'd have to travel all the way around the lake to reach the Shrine over land. However, the passage has been neglected for ages. Who knows what we'll find inside there now."

"Let's hurry," Fayt said.

"This is like an adventure fit for a king," Roger said. "Namely, me."

"Yeah, the more we talk here, the closer the Vendeeni are to getting their hands on the orb," Cyrus said as he turned his hat backward. The group rushed into the underground cavern. Cyrus was about to go, until he saw a woman who sold Disintegration Hammers. Cyrus paid the woman and hurried up to rejoin the group.

* * *

14.2: From the Underground to the Promise Land

When Cyrus arrived at the end of the tunnel, he saw the rest of the group already at the end, waiting for him. "Sorry, had to get some hammers," Cyrus replied. The group scanned their surroundings.

"So this is the underground route that'll take us to the shrine?" Cliff asked.

"That's right. Remember, it hasn't been used for some time, meaning that we maybe intruders on resident monsters' territory," Nel warned. "Be on your guard, everyone." The group proceeded through door infront. As they went through the passage, the group continued to scan their surroundings. In the room on at the end of the path, Fayt saw a switch on the soldier statue at the left side of the room. Unfortunately, their path was blocked by a local Bronze Brute.

"Great, it's enough that we had to deal with this lummox," Roger said referring to Cliff. "Now we have to deal with a giant stone brain."

"Fine, pint sized," Cliff said in an agitated voice. "How 'bout you go over there and pull it. Seeing it's a weasel's move."

"I'm a racoon, ya moron! Would anyone like to cover me? How 'bout you, m'lady?" He said in a sweet voice to Nel.

"Sorry, not really in the mood."

"How 'bout you, miss?" he asked Maria.

"Fine, who does?"

"You can count on me. It's finally time for a workout, anyway," Adray said as he cracked his knuckles.

"I guess it's decided," Cyrus said. "We'll let you three take care of Rocky. We'll sit back and enjoy the show."

"Gee, thanks," Roger said in a sarcastic tone.

"Oh yeah," Cyrus said as he came up with an idea. "Here, I let you borrow this for right now." Cyrus put his earphones on Roger. "I heard that your kind has a great ear for music, so I want to experiment on Menodix, battling performance and Rap."

"Alright, whatever." Cyrus tuned his MP3 Player to the song, "Mama Said Knock You Out" by LL Cool J. The three charged into battle. Cliff and Adray rushed at the beast while Roger began dancing through the battlefield. Cliff was parrying punches at the large mound of stone while Adray used Ice Needles at it. Roger was just going past the monster until it saw him. The Bronze Brute began using its Earth Storm. A cloud of dust spewed out of the enemy's mouth. Surprisingly though, the attack was evaded. When the smoke cleared, Roger was seen doing the splits. He rose up and continued his trek to the switch. Adray rushed to the scene and slashed at the adversary. The large form gave Adray a couple of powerful punches, sending the veteran back. The monster turned his attention to Roger again and launched its attack. Fortunately for him, the attack barely missed and he was thrown to the tip of his helmet, spinning like a top. He kicked back up and shuffled to the switch. In a few shuffles, Roger had jumped up and turned the switch. Unknown to him, the Bronze Brute was right behind him. It was about to attack, but Cliff and Adray had already defeated the foe. Roger turned around and walked back to his comrades as if nothing happened. When he rejoined the group, he was staring at everyone who were flabbergasted at what they just saw. "What?" Roger said in a confused voice.

Cyrus took back his possession, still pretty fascinated by Roger's show. "That was the shizznit, dog...!" he said. "Didn't know you had the gangsta in ya!"

"Gee, thanks... I think..." he said as he scratched his head in confusion.

"I'll admit, that was a bit entertaining to watch," Maria said. "But now's not the time."

Maria began to walk out of the room. The group nodded amongst themselves and followed the blue-haired girl. Throughout the trek, the group fought dozens of monsters and darted past the large blocks when they rose, pressing switches on the way. In a room that was filled with Mages, they carefully walked through the path until they saw a cracked portion of the wall. _"I bet there's a switch inside that will get those blocks working in that other room," _Cyrus thought.

"What's up?" Cliff asked.

"I just got an idea. Fayt, toss me a hammer." Fayt checked his inventory and tossed the hammer up. Cyrus caught the item and whacked at the wall. In seconds, the barrier crumbled and a new area was opened. "Well, lets go." Cyrus and the rest of the group entered the room Fayt checked the statue in the center of the room and turned the switch. "I think that's all we need to do. Now let's get outta here."

The group hurried to the previous room and entered an empty chamber. "That must be the entrance to the Shrine of Kaddan," Fayt said. Everyone looked to the direction Fayt looked in and saw the a door with stairs in front of it.

As they were about to leave, a bright light blinded them. It dimmed and on the floor, a symbol similar to what they saw before appeared on the ground. "Oh, no! Is he coming back!" Cliff said.

"No," Cyrus replied. "It's not him." Suddenly, a large torso rose from the insignia. At was all metal, with no head but wielding two swords. It was a Flying Knight, one of the monsters that protected the entrance to the shrine. "Alright, this is gonna be tough." Cyrus pulled out a small object from his pocket and spun it in his hand. "I always wanted to use this." He stopped twirling the item and pressed a button. In moments, a long, red beam of light shot out from the handle.

"Cyrus, is that one of General Grievous' Light Sabers?" Cliff asked.

"Hey, it's not like he'll be needin' it anytime soon. Anyway I need some cover. It's week against water."

"How do you know?" Nel asked.

"I just do. So, anyone care to join me?"

"Why not?" Maria said as she stepped up beside the black clothed warrior. "I want to see if you're as powerful as Cliff said you are."

"You won't be disappointed. How 'bout you?" He asked Nel. "You'll be pretty handy, plus we'll be at the shrine before you know it."

"Alright. Let's go."

The trio ran charged at the floating body parts. Nel and Cyrus leapt and slashed downward pretty hard. The monster staggered back a bit from the impact, but regained its balance. In retaliation, the Flying Knight tried to slash at the two warriors. Unfortunately for it, the attack was stopped as Maria began rallying laser shots. The creature turned to Maria and floated towards her. Cyrus saw the target advancing toward his partner and quickly began charging his Darkness Blade. In moments, he past the armor and was in between the knight and Maria. She looked at Cyrus' light sword that was shrouded in darkness. Something like this was never heard of. Cyrus again jumped up and slashed at the foe. This time however, the damage was greater and the monster crashed to the ground. Cyrus gave a little smirk and his red eyes shined a malevolent shade. The monster got up, and wasn't in a good mood when it did. The monster slashed at Cyrus twice, giving him considerable damage. Suddenly, a stream of ice hit the monster just after a voice yelled "Slashing blade!" The attack belonged to Nel and her Ice Daggers. Now the Flying Knight grew furious and used Sword Quake. In seconds, the three were juggled by a cyclone of fast spinning swords. As the chaos ended, the group slammed to the ground with tremendous force.

"That didn't tickle," Cyrus said as they picked themselves up.

"Nel and I will attack from afar," Maria said.

"You'll need to get its attention," Nel advised.

Cyrus groaned in agony, but he couldn't shrug the fact that they were the only two that could attack with far ranged attacks. "Fine," he said as he threw his hands up in angst. "If I die, just know that I'll be haunting you and giving you grief and suffering and... yadda, yadda, etcetera, you get it."

"I'm sure you will," Nel said.

Cyrus charged behind the monster and called, "'ey you!" The Flying Knight turned around to Cyrus. "Yeah, you. I've seen ten cent hoes fight better than you, son! How 'bout you get yo abominated ass outta here ya wing, 'fore it's too late!" Now if you think that the monster wasn't pissed when it heard that, you must be crazy. It seemed the monster was really, really pissed. It rushed at Cyrus at full speed and Cyrus himself ran toward it. By the time they made contact, the monster side slashed with its sword, but Cyrus jumped up and land on top of the monster. The monster turned its body in different directions until it finally learned that Cyrus was on its body. Cyrus leapt off the foe's body just as Nel was launching her Ice Needles and Maria was shooting at the monster with her Scatter Beam. Now the monster was weakened. And Cyrus saw his opportunity and used Shadow Slash. In seconds, his body was blanketed in a thick dark aura. Cyrus slashed the monster in half.

It was over and Maria was amazed at his performance. She walked over to Cyrus and said, "You were right. I wasn't disappointed." Cyrus chuckled softly at the response.

"Alright," Nel said. "Now let's go. We have no time to loose."

"Right," Cyrus replied. The group of seven walked up the staircase and opened the door. From a cold, damp and dark cave to a humid, dry and lit hall, the group was now in the Shrine of Kaddan; the house of Apris.

"The Sacred Orb is held in a small room north of here," Nel said. "We need to hurry."

"Okay," Fayt said. When they entered the next room, the gang was bid "welcomed" by a pile of rubble. Roger walked over to it to investigate. Suddenly, the pile of rocks formed a large body. It looked like a centaur with a head shaped like a soldier's helmet, but its body was made of crystal. It was a Crystal Statue, and it wasn't happy to meet them. Fayt, Roger and Adray battled the beast. It was a long and grueling battle. In the end however, the three were victorious. After the fight, Fayt looked down on the ground where the monster fell. It was a Saint's Stone. He picked the rock up and put it in his bag.

They proceeded to the next hall and saw someone on the floor. "Hey, who's that over there?" Roger asked.

"I don't know, but I think he needs our help!" Cliff said. With that in mind, the group rushed toward the person's aid. It was an injured Aquarian soldier.

"Are you hurt?" Nel asked.

"Lady Nel..." the soldier said faintly. "Forgive me... I couldn't stop them from entering the shrine..." The group looked up and saw part of the wall in front of them blown apart.

"It would appear so. But don't fear. We'll protect the Sacred Orb, no matter what."

"Thank... the... gods..." The soldier said. With his honor and faith restored the young soldier died on the spot.

Nel's face was now a serious scowl as she wanted to avenge her comrade. "They'll pay for this!"

"Nel, let's hurry!" Cliff said.

"Right... Better brace yourselves. Only members of the royal family or messengers of the gods have been allowed in here until now. I've also heard that countless traps have been set to prevent looting."

"It'd sure make things easier if those traps would take care of them for us."

"Don't get your hopes up," Maria said. "They'll must likely be carrying powerful scanners."

"You're probably right," Cliff said.

"Great," Cyrus said. "Goldy's friends got a technological lead. How much of this is wrong?"

"In any case, let's hurry!" Fayt said.

"This soldier died with honor," Adray said. "His sacrifice will not be in vain." The group left the room and entered the next. Inside, another Crystal Statue had awoken and challenged the group. This time, it was Cliff, Maria and Cyrus' turn to take on the monster. Cyrus drew out his Bastard Sword and joined Cliff's frontal assault. Maria also can into the fray. With the combined martial arts attacks that the gang used, the enemy was getting overwhelmed. Out of desperation, the monster called upon its special attack, "Tri Spike." It unleashed three beams from its body that would freeze anything they touched. Lucky for them, the three got out of the way before the attack landed on them. Maria used her Aiming Device. The Crystal Statue suffered a considerable amount of damage, but it was still standing. Cliff quickly darted over to the creature and used his attack Electric Fists. In seconds, the shiny sculpture ended up in a million pieces. Cyrus walked over to the crumbled pieces and searched through the remnants. He obtained a Saint Stone and stuck it in his pocket.

"Okay," Fayt said. "We got these stones. So what do we do?"

"I think we should make something out of these," Cyrus said. "It's important we do."

"Why do you say that?" Cliff asked.

"Let's call it a feeling," he replied.

"You mean a hunch."

"If we wanna put it like that, yes." Cyrus looked at the door on the side. "And our break is there," he said pointing to the path. "What do you think, Maria?"

Maria pondered a bit. "To tell you the truth, I think we should go there."

"How come we always take his hunches?" Cliff asked.

"Let's see..." Cyrus said. "Last time I checked, I didn't drive a ship that nearly got smashed by a space rock. Neither have 'landed' the vehicle in a town on an Underdeveloped Planet."

"Okay, okay. Let's just get this over with," Cliff said in an irritated voice. He threw his arms in the air and went the suggested direction.

Cyrus looked at Maria and she did the same. "I guess he's always like that?" Cyrus asked.

"Yeah," Maria said. "He gets like that when no one takes his hunches."

"I see..." The group followed the buff blonde to the end of the path into another room with chests. "Wonder what's in there?" Cyrus asked himself. He walked over to the chests and found Compounding Elixirs and another Saint Stone. He held the rock and pulled the other out of his hand.

"What's that?" Roger asked.

"It's another of these Saint's Stones," Cyrus said. "I wonder what's with these things?"

Fayt walked up to his comrade holding the stones. He pulled out his own from the bag. "I bet I could make a charm out of these stones."

"Well, there's only one way to find out."

Fayt walked over to the work table and created a Saint's Charm in just fifteen minutes. "There we go. This came out rather nicely if I do say so myself."

"Can I see it?" Roger asked. Fayt carefully handed the item to the young Menodix. "Oh... It's a purty nice peace o' work."

"Alright," Cliff said. "Now that we got our charm and established there's nothing here, I say we scram." The group hurried back to the main path and entered a room with a creature called the Crystal Cerberus. It was nothing more than a altered version of the Crystal Statues they faced earlier. All the same, the creature was defeated by Nel, Adray and Fayt easily. The path to the orb was long and arduous. New rooms were discovered by the use of the Disintegration Hammers and there were enemies galore.

In about a couple hours, after going through a maze of moving blocks, the team made it to a small room that led to the Orb's chamber. Nel peeked through the cracked door and saw four suspicious soldiers standing around the OPA. "This is the inner sanctum where the Sacred Orb is said to be enshrined," Nel said.

"So that means the Vendeeni are there, too," Maria pondered.

"Most likely."

"Everybody ready?"

"Yeah, let's bust some heads," Cyrus said.

The group rushed into the room in quick haste. "Get away from the Orb!" Fayt yelled.

The Vendeeni turned their attention to the group. "Huh? Isn't that the Leingod boy?" asked one Vendeeni soldier.

"I think it is," said the other in a sly tone. "And I see they also brought that Splicer kid with them. How lucky for us—and we thought we were taking a detour to check out this OPA. We got us three birds with one stone."

"It's seems like you guys are having a good day," Cyrus said. "Too bad it's gonna be ruined."

"Get your hands off our most sacred treasure!" Nel ordered.

"That is not an option," said the first soldier. "Did you really think we'd abandon an OPA of this power so easily? The OPA and the boys are ours!"

"Not gonna happen!" Cliff said.

"Kiss my ass," Cyrus scoffed.

"You got a little too greedy," Maria said. "Let's get 'em!"

"I've been waiting to give some hell for a while," Cyrus said. He began to play "Chaotic Dance" from the Baten Kaitos soundtrack. He pulled out his lightsaber and charged at the soldiers along with Fayt, Nel and Maria. He kicked the face of one Vendeeni Soldier while the other three were kept busy by his comrades. The attacked soldier fell back, but picked himself up rather quickly. The soldier aimed his disruptor rifle at Cyrus. Instinctively, the young warrior ran up against the wall as soon as the shot fired. He ended up behind the soldier that retaliated by swinging his gun behind him. Cyrus dodged the hit and shouldered the foe to the wall. The soldier pushed himself from the wall and began shooting. Cyrus ducked from one of the lasers and began blocking with his lightsaber. One of the attacks was ricochet back at the adversary, causing him to fall back. Cyrus quickly capitalized on this opportunity and used his Raptor's Revenge. The soldier staggered from the series of kicks he was dealt with, holding his side in the process, but he was still going for the attack. He shot another large bullet at Cyrus, but it barely connected as Cyrus bent back to the floor. The Vendeeni rushed over to Cyrus and slammed his gun down, but Cyrus quickly rolled out of the way of the rifle and used a monkey fist on the soldier. The enemy slammed into the wall of the room and slid down, leaving a small crack from his impact. "Give up?" Cyrus asked.

"Never, you little fool!" he yelled. "I will not be bested by a mere child!"

"Shame... 'Cause this 'child's' gonna whip yo' ass!" he said. Now the blade of light was flashing. It surprised him because he thought it wasn't able to happen on the lightsaber. "Should've ran when you had the chance." Cyrus' body was now engulfed in a flame. Then he began using the break dancing move called the Flare. Each swing of his legs caused more damage to the Vendeeni soldier. After a few revolutions, Cyrus' opponent collapsed. He back flipped to his feet and crossed his arms. "That's called the Blazing Tempest Flare. Yo got burned to the third degree."

His teammates, who finished before him, looked at Cyrus with stunned looks. "Well, that was fun..." Cyrus said to himself. He turned off the light weapon and put it back in his pocket.

Maria walked to the Sacred Orb and scanned the object. "This energy does possess a waveform that's never been observed before. As we thought, its power clearly exceeds anything that should be on this planet."

"So it really is an OPA…" Cliff said.

"That's the only possible conclusion."

"No wonder it's a holy relic."

"I'm just relieved that it's safe," Nel said in a grateful tone. "This will save Her Majesty considerable grief."

"Let's get back to Aquios and let the queen know that the Sacred Orb is safe," Fayt said.

"Right. Let's go."

* * *

Part 14.3: Soulless Light

Returning to the entrance was a silent hike (except for the occasional media player of a certain black clothed swordsman). There were no monsters, no obstacles, it was a smooth ride. Maria and Cyrus picked up the rear and she had as many questions to ask Cyrus as Cyrus did for her. "Cyrus?" she asked.

"Hey," Cyrus responded as he pulled off his earplugs. "What up?"

"I was wondering... How did you learn symbology?"

"Uh... My teacher gave me these powers... sometime after I became his disciple. The reason was because of some ancient force. At first, I did not believe this, but let's just say that quickly changed when I first met her."

"Her?"

"Ah... Never mind." Cyrus quickly changed the subject and saw how far in front the rest of the group was. "We better catch up, quick." Cyrus ran back to the gang. Maria began pondering about this "her" Cyrus said. She let the word slide, for now, and joined her comrades.

The two made it to the entrance. Nel stopped and turned to the group. "Everyone. Please allow me to thank you."

"Huh?" Cliff said in confusion.

"Thanks to you, the Sacred Orb is safe."

"It's no big deal," Cyrus said. "Though I'm beginning to think Fayt's right. It was our presence here that attracted those overgrown dogfish in the first place."

"You're wrong," Nel said. "They came here of their own accord. No fault lies within you."

"Nel..."

"I gathered from what you were saying before that there are many worlds like our own."

"That's right," Maria said.

"And the Sacred Orb…is an exceedingly rare object… An OPA, you said—correct?"

"Correct. At least, there's no record of anything like the Sacred Orb in the Federation's database."

"That means, most likely, someone would have come here seeking its power sooner or later. It just so happens that time is now. You have nothing to apologize for."

"Nel..." Fayt said. Maria was silent.

"All right, time to go," Cliff said.

"Oh, yeah. Let's get back to Aquios," Fayt said.

"Right."

The group opened the door and walked down the stairs, by the time they got off the stairs, Cyrus stopped, with his hand on his hilt. "No. Not today," Cyrus said.

"What is it?" Maria asked. Cyrus moved his head forward and the group turned to the direction.

In the middle of the room was none other than Lystara Catalysta with her smug smile and folded arms. "Why hello, Cyrus," she said. "How long was it, a day?"

"Who is she?" Maria asked.

"That's Lystara Catalysta," Cyrus said. "She attacked us earlier with some cyborg named General Grievous. She is what I told you about."

"I think he would prefer the word, 'hybrid droid'," she said.

"I prefer the term six dimensions out," Cyrus said. "I'll never forgive you for killing my teacher."

"I don't expect you to. And he's not dead anyway. I just severed your link, 'ight." Lystara then focused her eyes on Maria. "Hello, Ms. Traydor."

Maria had a stunned look on her face. "How do you know my name."

"I see all, I know all. Especially that infernal Alteration Gene."

"What's your beef with her Catalyst?" Cyrus asked.

"Did you forget, my friend? That power allows her to survive in dimensions as if it was her own."

"Why do you care?" Maria asked.

"You'll be a problem when the time comes. You shall be eliminated." Maria was stunned.

"You ain't eliminating no one," Cliff said.

"Is that so, you stupid blonde?"

"You best watch it!"

"Or what? Don't worry. I'll destroy her vicariously through you, Cyrus!" she said pointing at him. The group was surprised at what they just heard. Would Cyrus really turn on his partners?

"You're crazy! I won't destroy anyone. But you, I'll make an exception."

"Wrong. Remember, I have the power." Lystara raised her hand and Cyrus trapped in small ringed cage that made a sphere.

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

The rings disappeared as Lystara lowered her arm. She held the same arm to the side of her body and a new form was born. Starting with feet and ending with a hat, it was a replica of Cyrus. Unlike him though, he wore white versions of his clothes and had blue eyes with white hair. In some aspects, it was him with traits of Lystara. "Meet your demise," she said. She turned to the copy. "I bid you welcome Stratus M. Slicer." He opened his blue eyes and grinned a nasty grin. "Now for your first job, destroy the Traydor!"

He charged at Maria at full speed with a wide grin on his face. Cliff stood in his path, but was kicked in the face and flew to the side. He lifted his Bastard Sword up and slashed downward, until Cyrus blocked the move with his own. Stratus was pushed away by Cyrus' strength, but the copy recovered. It flipped backward and landed on his feet, standing in a low-slung position. "As you see, my replica is as strong and resilient as you are. Thing is, he has no soul."

The group, including Cyrus himself, gasped. "No soul?" Cyrus yelled.

"A warrior cannot truly show his potential without soul," Adray said. "Lacking the spirit to guide its body, a fighter is nothing."

Lystara chuckled. "We'll see about that. Now Stratus, attack your abasement of an archetype."

"I'll show you an abasement." Cyrus turned his MP3 player to "Drill Golem" from Musashi: Samurai Legend. Both he and Stratus took their battle positions and circled the field. As Cyrus prepared his Darkness Blade, Stratus also used the same technique, except a light version. It was his Divine Blade. "This is something," he mumbled.

"As you can see," Catalysta started, "Stratus isn't just altered in appearance, but he is also a reverse version of you. See, your attributes are Darkness and Fire. Your better half is a combination of Light and Water. Whatever attack he has is an alternate version of yours. But why take my word for it. Stratus, be a dear and annihilate your inferior... self."

Stratus charged at Cyrus and jabbed. Cyrus blocked his attack and capitalized. He kicked Stratus in the gut during the lock. The light imitation staggered for a second and Cyrus began to slash. The clone sidestepped and punched Cyrus in the face. Cyrus also staggered from the attack. Both opponents held their pained spots, but were still ready for more. They both jumped in the air and used their Raptor's Revenge. However, the attacks bounced off of each other as both opponents only kicked the bottoms of the shoes. They landed on their feet and charged their swords again. Cyrus used his Blazing Sword while Stratus summoned Ice Blade. "Whoa!" Fayt said to himself in amazement. "I can't believe they both have my attacks!" The two swordsmen parried blows. Stratus jumped forward and attacked, but Cyrus slid under the duplicate while it was still airborne. It didn't stop it follow up as it quickly turned around and struck behind. However, Cyrus saw this coming and blocked with his sword. In a few minutes, both swords started losing their attributes. The heat from the flame was melting the ice, but the water dripping from the ice was extinguishing the fire. Now that the two were with bare swords, they put their weapons back in their sheaths and began using the 187. The copy followed up the attack so well, the move didn't do anything as the kicks blocked each other and they didn't have anyone's head to slam on the ground. They back flipped a couple of times and began collecting energy. Both combatants showed their auras. Cyrus, with his dark aura, pulled out his sword, while Stratus did the same thing, except with a light attribute. They used their powerful coup-de-gras, Shadow Slash and Shining Strike. Both attacks were similar in sync as they both rushed at one another like streaking lines across the room. By the time they met, they both had the same positions: sword blades facing away from the body and pointed at the target behind them. Other arm supporting the body off the ground. Right legs bent forward while the left was straightened. They were like mirror images frozen in time. Cyrus' friends and even Lystara herself stared at the two with intent. In seconds, both forms flinched and fell forward. Fayt and the rest of the gang ran to Cyrus' weakened body. Maria kneeled down to the him and helped raise him up as he was trying to get up.

Lystara walked over to Stratus, who was weak, but still wanted to finish the battle just as Cyrus did. "I assure you all, we'll meet again. It seems Cyrus has proved himself as a formidable opponent. It seems that even his carbon copy couldn't permanently keep him down."

"That's because... he has a soul," Maria said with a little rage in her voice. She scowled at Lystara and Stratus with rage and disgust.

"Perhaps. Though know this. We'll be back. And even if Stratus does fail, which he won't; I'm still here. You all better prepare yourselves."

"It's you who needs to be prepared!" Roger shouted.

"I'll make a note of that." With that said, Stratus got up and with Catalysta, walked away. Disappearing as though they weren't even here. Before he left, Stratus looked back at Cyrus and grinned.

Maria looked down at Cyrus who rested on her, still in pain. "Thank you, Cyrus."

"As long as you're okay, it doesn't matter. Maria, you are an important person with a gift that can't be given away. I have a hunch that you are our hope of survival. I couldn't allow Lyst to get her hands on you, not just because of what I said. But because I consider you as my comrade. No one messes with me or my G-Unit without a little retaliated resistance."

"Thank you, Cyrus."

Cyrus grinned as he looked up and stared into each other's eyes. "Let's leave this place."

"Finally," Cliff said, still rubbing the swore spot on his cheek where Stratus kicked him. The group left the room and headed back to Castle Aquaria.

* * *

Part 14.4: Of Bikes and Truces

During the way back to Castle Aquaria, Cyrus healed himself after the fight from the soulless copy that went by Stratus M. Slicer. They arrived in the throne room in no time at all with a relieved Queen. "It is unfortunate that thieves were allowed to enter Kaddan, but at least the Sacred Orb is safe. Thank you for your hard work, all of you."

"We couldn't have done it without their help," Nel said.

"All right, so what do we do next?" Cliff asked. "They're intensifying their attacks."

"And now that we have defeated them at Kaddan, they have even more reason to attack this country," Maria said.

"Exactly," Cyrus said. "We're sitting ducks down here. Any longer and you can count on larger group of those fat heads than just four."

"It would appear that the only option remaining is to work together to drive off the Vendeeni," Queen Romeria suggested.

"Yes, agreed," Maria responded.

"But how will we do it?" Cliff asked. "The only weapon that might help isn't completed yet, and it doesn't have the range. What's the point of an attack that can't hit its target?"

"That's a good question…" Fayt said. "Even if we hurry up and finish the weapon, there's no way to make it achieve the range we need."

"We shall request cooperation from Airyglyph," the Queen said.

The group turned to her majesty. Lasselle on the other hand was a little reluctant over the idea. "I beg your pardon? Y-Your Majesty!"

"If you had the means to carry the weapon into the sky, range would no longer be an issue, correct? Airyglyph has this ability…All we need to do is borrow it."

"A means for carrying…" Nel pondered until the idea hit her. "The air dragons!"

"Correct."

"Yes, but will they cooperate?" Lasselle asked. "Even if they approve our request, how are we to be sure that they will not betray us?"

"He has a good point," Fayt said.

"For once..." Adray mumbled.

"We do not believe this will happen," the Queen explained. "The Vendeeni attack also dealt a great deal of damage to their country. Of this, we are sure. They cannot afford to worry about taking our lands now. Furthermore, it was the warmonger Vox who kept pushing for conflict in his country, and he is now in his grave. The King of Airyglyph will understand. This is not the time to fight amongst ourselves."

"Your Majesty..." Nel said.

"Let us appeal to Airyglyph for their assistance. I shall prepare a personal letter and send a messenger immediately. Can I count on your help?"

"Your Majesty."

"I'll go, too," Cliff said. "Don't you think he'll trust me more? I don't think a person from Aquaria could explain the whole picture, anyway."

"That may be so, but… You realize this is dangerous?"

"Yeah, so? A little danger doesn't worry me."

"Very well," the Queen said. "You shall accompany her."

"Leave it to us," Cliff said.

The Queen nodded. She turned to Elena and said, "Elena, you are to hurry and prepare the Thunder Arrow."

"Yes, Your Majesty. Right away."

"Mirage, can you help her get the weapon ready?" Maria asked.

"Roger."

"We are counting on all of you."

"Your Majesty, what shall I do?" Fayt asked.

"The five of you should wait until she returns. I shall have a task for you then."

"The two of you should wait until she returns. I shall have a task for you then."

"Yes, Your Majesty. So what are you guys going to do?"

"Well, I'm going to train the soldiers," Adray said. "It seems they're lacking in a few departments. A little exercise never hurt anyone."

"I'm gonna woo some of the ladies around here," Roger replied. "After all no one could resist someone like me."

"Yeah, because pepper spray wasn't made yet," Cyrus mumbled.

"What about you, Cyrus?" Fayt asked.

"Well, I signed to an Inventor's Guild in Peterny, so I'll be pretty busy. Luckily, I will have an invention that appeals for everyone. Also, I have some left over copper that Dion said I could use."

"Alright. I hope it comes out okay."

"Fayt..." Maria called. The blue- haired swordsman turned his attention to her. "Could we talk outside?"

"Um, sure. Okay."

"It seems like you two got stuff to catch up on, yourselves," Cyrus said. "Well, time to bounce." The group left the throne room to take care of their own business. Cyrus went to pick up his copper at the fabrication room.

Afterwards, he went to the west side of town where the Workshop was. When he entered the room, he found that the room was pretty clean. The papers on the table were stacked nicely. "Alright," he said to himself. "Time to make the greatest invention on the planet." He began to do his work with the copper he had in his wheel barrow. He used the blueprints he made earlier and welded the copper into different shapes and materials. When he felt that it was time to cool the modified parts, he engulfed them with his dark energy. In about a few hours, the product was finished. "Ah, finally. It's complete. Though it's lacking somethin'..." he thought about it for a while until the thought an idea came to his head. "Of course!" he exclaimed. Cyrus got two buckets of paint and began covering it with red flames on a black background. "There, it's finished." Cyrus stared at his creation with a smile. "It's times of like these that make me cry. I love my brain," he said as he wiped a tear from his eye. He pulled out his communicator and contacted Welch.

"Hello, Welch Vineyard at your service."

"Remember me?"

"Oh well, if it isn't Mr. Splicer. Long time no report. I thought you wanted to be an inventor."

"I know, I was occupied lately. Battling droids, pursued by aliens and fighting my clone. You know, the usual."

Welch gasped when she heard Cyrus' excuse. She quickly shook her head and regained composure. "Yeah, sure. Anyway, what do you have?"

"Oh, I don't know... Maybe this..." Cyrus moved the communicator to show his great invention.

"Hey! What is that?"

"It's nothing really. Just a single human ground transport vehicle that uses an all-terrain dual wheel system powered by the lower half of the body. It's also environmentally friendly."

"Um... Er... What?"

"It's a bicycle, a sports vehicle from my neck of the hood."

"It looks good."

"Yeah. I used a copper for the frame."

"Alright. What do you want to name it in the patent?"

Cyrus pondered about what to call his vehicle. "How 'bout... the Shadow Blaze. How's that?"

"... Shadow Blaze... Sounds good. Okay, I see a lots of these hitting the market by storm."

"Yeah, well, I guess it is a stroke 'o genius, on my part."

"Well, is there anything..." Suddenly, unknown sounds and banging were heard. "Hey... wha- Not you again!" Welch got up from the desk and ran to the source in a few seconds, the same boy that Cyrus met before was racing back and forth with Welch in hot pursuit. After the third return to the direction he came from, Welch grabbed the kid by the tail and neck and went to the direction of the door. The next thing heard was a opened door and a loud thud. "And stay out, you little turd!" She got back to the desk and sat in her chair. Strands of hair were popping out in both bangs on the top of her head. "Sorry about that. So, anything else you wish to submit?"

Cyrus was looking nervous. "No, I'm cool. Scared," he mumbled, "but cool."

"That's great."

"By the way, the weary warrior look rocks."

"Huh?" Welch than noticed that he was talking about her hair-do. She embarrassingly chuckled.

"Anyway, like I said, you look good. Well, later." Cyrus turned off the communicator and put it in his bag.

An Aquarian soldier came into the building. "Ah, so here you are."

"Yo, playa. What up?"

"Your two friends have returned. It's time to return to the castle."

"Okay," Cyrus said. "Let me just fold my bike and I'll be on my way." Cyrus folded his bike up and followed the soldier to the castle. By the time they got there, everyone, including Fayt and Maria waited for him.

"I see you're back," Maria said.

"Sorry 'bout that," Cyrus said. "It takes a while to fold a bike. Especially when you create it from your own two hands."

"According to your report, the King of Airyglyph has accepted our story at face value," the queen reviewed.

"Yes," Nel replied "However, he did insist on speaking directly to Your Majesty."

"Directly?" Lasselle said in a sniveling tone. "How absurd! We could never allow a hostile party to speak with the queen!"

"And the place for this discussion?" the Queen questioned, not listening to a word of the Magistrate's concern. "Surely he does not mean to come here?"

"No, he specified the hall with the round table, in the Ancient Ruins of Mosel," Nel answered.

"In Mosel?" the Magistrate whined. "It's a dusty old ruin! They may have air dragons, but we'd have to walk!"

"He said that he wouldn't cooperate unless we accepted that single condition…"

"I see…" Queen Romeria said. "Very well then. Let us go to Mosel."

"Your Majesty?" Lasselle whined.

The Queen rose from her seat and stepped forward. "He is testing us. Normally, we would never go to such a place. Now, however, is no time to be worried about such things. This is not the time to remain isolated within our own land. We shall travel to Mosel, and I myself shall persuade the King of Airyglyph."

"But it could be a trap!"

"Everything begins with trust. If we cannot trust him, then how can he ever trust us?" She turned toward Nel. "Did he say anything about bodyguards?"

"Nothing in particular. I guess that means we can do as we see fit."

"Very well. Then you shall be our bodyguards."

"Your Majesty."

"Then are we agreed?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Cyrus said.

The Queen nodded and turned back toward the Magistrate. "Lasselle."

"Yes."

"Give your full cooperation to Lady Elena while we are gone. And do not worry, I am in good hands."

"Your wish is my command. And the rest of you…" he said referring to the group. "Take good care of Her Majesty."

"We will," Fayt said.

"Just don't do something that will jeopardize us all," Adray said.

"Don't worry about the me, you old brute!" Lasselle snapped. "You better protect our Queen with your life."

The group left the castle, with Her Majesty included. "Hey guys!" Cyrus said.

"What?" Cliff responded.

"Guess what I made while you were gone." Cyrus pulled out and unfolded his bike. "Well, what do you think?"

"What odd contraption is this?" the Queen asked.

"Well, Your Majesty... it's a single human ground transport vehicle that uses an all-terrain dual wheel system powered by the lower half of the body. It's also environmentally friendly."

"Say it in smaller words," Roger said in a confused tone.

"It's a bicycle, a type of vehicle from our world," Fayt said.

"How does this... 'device' work?" the Queen asked.

"Well, this type is driven in urbanized areas. The seat is raised vertically straight, but is lower than the grips. It's built for a more relaxing ride than a speed machine. Anyway you sit on it and steer with the pedals."

"Strange technology. Yet simple," Nel said.

"Well, you may be correct, but it's great."

"It's not that I don't find this thing interesting," Cliff said, "but how about we get out of here. The King said he wouldn't wait for long."

"You're right," the Queen said.

"Roger, lead the way seeing you're more familiar with the West."

"Don't worry, as I, Roger S. Huxley, am a born leader. This way Your Majesty."

The group was silenced as the young Menodix moved ahead. "Yeah, well, boys will be boys." Maria said.

"I suppose so," the Queen replied. The group followed the tailed child through Peterny. As the group moved along the streets, the people of the town stared in awe. Not just because of the Queen's presence, but also because of the strange thing that Cyrus was riding in. Both him, or his majesty seemed to care about the attention toward them.

By the time the arrived near the bridge in the Samnite Steepes, the group heard the sounds of large flaps. They turned and saw the heavily armored air dragons of the Dragon Brigade. The leader, a person who rode a red Legion Dragon, arrived and blocked their way to Surferio. "The Dragon Brigade?" Fayt said.

"What do you want?" Nel asked. "We're on our way to speak with your king. Let us pass!"

"No!" the leader said flatly.

"What?" Cliff said.

"What's the meaning of this?" Maria asked.

"This war is not over," the leader replied. "If Lord Vox were still around, he'd have stopped this sissy negotiation by brute force."

"What?" was Fayt's only response.

"You're such a fan boy," Cyrus replied. "Don't you realize that this war wouldn't have started if Vox didn't frame Aquaria? Dude, why don't you just step off!"

"You dare talk to me or Lord Vox with such irreverence? I am Schweimer. Now that Lord Vox and Lord Demetrio are gone, I lead the Dragon Brigade. I will not recognize any peace with the dogs that killed Lord Vox!"

"So you're picking up from where your buddies left off," Roger said.

"Does the king know of this?" Queen Romeria asked.

"Hah! How could he? I should imagine he's waiting for you fools to arrive at the rendezvous point!"

"Watch your tongue when you speak to Her Majesty!" Nel snapped.

"You shall let us pass," the queen said.

"And I say you shall not pass!" Schweimer ordered. "There's no need for peace! Airyglyph rule is the best thing that could happen to Aquaria!"

"You really are an idiot!" Cliff shouted.

"You can say that again," Nel said.

"All right, whatever," Maria said. "Shall we teach this idiot a lesson or two, guys?"

"Yeah," Fayt said.

"Your Highness, let me help you find somewhere to hide," Roger said.

"Alright."

"Hey Schweimer!" Cyrus called. "Are you so pathetic that you would really wallow in Vox's shadow?"

"What did you say?"

"If you ask me, you're just his bitch. Isn't that right, guys."

"I couldn't agree more," Nel said.

"I mean, you must be his favorite bitch. What does he have you do? Wipe his ass for him 'cause he's too busy trying to lay another territory in ruins?"

"That's what it sounds like," Cliff said with a smirk on his face..

"I've heard enough! I shall have you all burnt to a crisp! Follow me men!"

"It seems like we've got him mad," Adray said.

"Quick, get the pacifier and a new diaper," Cyrus said sarcastically.

All three dragons approached the group. Cyrus and Maria ganged up on Schweimer. Cyrus quickly ran to the red dragon and slashed. Maria used her Protection and Cyrus' defense rose. Then, she used Power Up on herself. Cyrus, seeing this, decided it was one of those times to copy an attack. After he hacked and slashed, Schweimer's dragon used its Searing Fire Breath. Cyrus backfilled from the move and charged up Maria's attack. In a few seconds, he successfully mimicked the shooter's Power Up. Maria was pretty surprised when she saw what Cyrus did, but that didn't mean she left her guard down. She went closer to the dragon and used her Aiming Device. The commander and his steed were flown into the air. Cyrus decided it was time for a juggling act. His body was engulfed in a flame and he used the move: Blazing Vortex Flare. Every kick, the flames started twisting like a tornado. The attack sent serious damage to the dragon and its rider. They both slammed to the ground with tremendous force. "Is that all you got?"

"No, we still got plenty more where that came from," Maria said. In a few seconds, Schweimer was defeated by the double team of Maria and Cyrus.

"I guess once a bitch, always a bitch," Cyrus said.

"Are you all alright?" the Queen asked as she came to the scene with Roger in toe.

"We're okay."

"Are you alright, my dear," Roger said to Nel. "Perhaps I could check it out."

Cliff and Cyrus chuckled softly. "Where I'm from," Cyrus said, "that also means 'take it off dude!'"

Now Cliff was really laughing. Nel gave the two serious death glares and they looked away with nervousness painted on their face. "Shall we continue, Your Majesty?" Nel asked.

"Yes. We must get to the ruins as soon as possible." The group hurried to the ruins. They passed by Surferio where they took a brief rest. Cyrus shared a few of his stories with Roger's gang because the Menodix begged him to. After a few hours of visiting, the group went through the cave called the Passage from Parch to Plenty, a cave system that connects to the desert. They met a ranger who works as the super visor of the Mosel Dunes. He warned them about the dangers and the heat. He was a nice enough person to provide them a map... for a mere ten thousand fol. They paid for the map and went outside. Once they stepped into the environment, they found out that the place wasn't just "hot." It was a raging inferno. Cyrus knew that carefully folded the vehicle and put it back in his pack (Knowing well that soft metals and extreme heat don't mix). The group had to hop from water hole to water hole. It took some time, but they finally landed in the mysterious Ruins of Mosel.

"So anyone know about this place?" Cyrus asked.

"There isn't much," Adray said. "It's just some old fortress in the middle of the desert. It is said though, there are many treasures that have been left behind. It's also said to have been built even before the war between Greeton and Aquor."

"That sounds pretty old," Cliff said.

"It is," Nel replied. "It has been a few thousand years ago. Mechanized troops from Greeton invaded the Kingdom of Aquor, the predecessor of Aquaria."

"The war was ended by the first Queen: Queen Aquaria I," Queen Romeria said. "She used the power of the Sacred Orb to stop the mechanized warriors. It was from that day forward that all contact between Greeton and the entire continent of Gait ceased."

"Wow..." Cyrus said.

"Well, I think it's time to go inside," Fayt said.

"Right." The inside of the ruins were huge. In the center of the room, large statues began to move and destroy one another. But there was something of a pattern being observed here.

"What's this supposed to be?" Cliff asked.

"It must be a game of some knid," Fayt said.

"Correct," Queen Romeria said. "You see, the game is based on what figure is more powerful than the other. The three classes are Runologist, Thief and Warrior. Warrior vanquishes Thief. Thief defeats Runologist. Runologist overcomes Warrior."

"So it's your regular PRS with figures."

"In some extent, yes," Nel said.

"I guess since this thing's here, there must be more," Fayt said. "We'll have to solve them on the way."

The group traversed through the ruins resolving these puzzles. They also had to defeat the opposing monsters that they came across in the ruins. It took a couple of hours to find and solve each game, but they were able to unlock the doors to the round table. The Queen arrived at the meeting place unscathed and the King, along with Woltar, sat across the table. "Thank you for coming, Romeria. …It's been a long time."

"Yes. Yes it has been Arzei. I am so pleased to see you are well."

"Likewise, Romeria. You are as beautiful as ever."

"And you have not changed one bit, I see."

Later on, after the Queen took her seat, the meeting began. The King began to chuckle. "But what took you so long? I was starting to fear that one of our hard-liners had done something foolish."

"Don't play dumb with us!" Nel hissed as she remembered the event that took place back in the Samnite Steepes.

"By that, I take it that something did happen. Please accept my deepest apologies. Those troublemakers had the impudence to suggest that we need not ally ourselves with Aquaria if we could stand up to the new enemy alone. They urged me to conquer Aquaria and take your new weapon for ourselves."

"A simple plan for simple minds," the Queen said.

"They do not understand the dire consequences of misjudging this new enemy's strength. We are facing a much stronger threat this time and cannot afford to exhaust our strength."

"Then you agree to our proposal?"

"Yes. We have no other choice. Our military forces also sustained terrible losses in that recent attack. Out of the three brigades of Airyglyph, only the Storm Brigade still has a captain. Woltar is the only one left."

"_Really?"_ Cyrus thought. _"Isn't Albel still the Captain of the Black Brigade? I guess he got kicked out of the position after getting thrown in the slammer."_

"But tell me, who is this enemy we face? I heard your agent's explanation the other day, but it made no sense to me."

"I felt the same way," the Queen said. "Perhaps they can explain it to us again."

Fayt began to explain the situation to the King. Even in the ears of Her Majesty, the story still sounded far-fetched. "Hmm… I have to admit I find it hard to believe. What about you, Romeria?"

"I must believe, Arzei. Lest both our countries be destroyed."

" Turning these outsiders over to this new enemy is another option, is it not?"

"That might have been possible before, but now I am afraid it is no longer an option."

"Why is that?"

"The enemy attacked the Shrine of Kaddan."

"Kaddan was attacked?"

"Kaddan has nothing to do with these outsiders. Once it came under attack, we realized that our lands had become the target of the enemy's aggression… Hence, there is but one thing left to try."

"Engage them on their own terms..."

"Correct. We must unite the power of our nation's runological weapon and Airyglyph's air dragons."

"This is no time to fret over national honor."

"That is correct."

"All right. Let us join forces. However, at present, having our air dragons carry your runological weapon will not be an easy task."

"Please explain."

"First, it is a matter of size. According to information obtained by our spies, your weapon would be too big to be carried by an air dragon."

"How about carrying it with more than one dragon?" Maria suggested.

"That to would be difficult."

Cliff groaned. "Then that's the point of this alliance?"

"Do not be so hasty, young man." Woltar said, trying to calm him down. "The king said 'at present.'"

"What do you mean?" Cyrus asked.

"I said it's a matter of size," the King of Airyglyph said. "To carry a big weapon, we need a bigger air dragon."

"Where could we find such a beast?" Nel asked.

"In the Urssa Lava Caves near a place you have already been: the Bequerel Mines," Woltar replied. "An air dragon of immense size dwells within the caverns there."

"So all we have to do is capture the critter?" Cliff said.

"That is correct," the King replied. "However, mistaking him for a mere air dragon would be suicide. The Marquis, as the beast is known, is a creature of immense size and strength. Even Vox was unable to subdue him."

"Do not fear, Arzei," the Queen said. "I trust they will be capable."

"I do not doubt you feel that way. However, our trust is not so easily given."

"Then what do you propose we do? Did you not consent to joining forces?"

"I only request that a representative of Airyglyph be included in their party. Then I shall withdraw my objections."

"A just proposal… But who would you have go? Woltar?"

"No, Woltar is much too old. I do not have the heart to send him into the Urssa Lava Caves. I was thinking of someone else."

"And who might that be?"

"…I was thinking about sending Albel."

"Albel?" Nel said in a surprised tone.

"Do you object? I, for one, am quite fond of him. What do you think, Romeria?"

"I consent. This Albel shall travel with the party…" the Queen turned to Fayt. "You do not mind, do you?"

"I personally don't mind, but..."

"It doesn't matter what we think," Cliff said. "The problem's gonna be what Albel thinks."

"After all, with what went down back in the mountains, I doubt Albel's gonna chill without a few heads a rollin'," Cyrus said.

"Then it is settled," the King said. "Albel will be waiting for you in Airyglyph. You can meet him there."

"We understand," Fayt said.

"We will be expecting you."

"I must ask that you take us to Peterny Clair can escort us from there," the Queen said to Nel. "After that, you may head to Airyglyph."

"Your Majesty," Nel said and bowed. The group left the room and began their trek back to Peterny.


	16. Chapter 15

* * *

Author's Note 1: I hope you are all prepared for a long chapter. It's one of the few that is five parts long. The other reason for its length is for the sequel I'm trying to prepare. I want to complete it before November, maybe even October 31st. Don't worry, though I'm in a rush, you'll still get the savory goodness of Cyrus, Fayt and all those other lovable characters. Now, let's get back to where we left off and continue the pandemonium. For all you Roger haters, prepare for some bashing. And if you're into Panzer Dragoon, you may find this chapter exceptionally amusing. I'm hoping to get no bad reviews on this...

* * *

Part 15.1: An Antagonistic Ally

After a few hours of hiking, the group finally arrived back in Peterny where Clair, Tynave and Farleen waited. "Clair, I'm leaving Her Majesty in your hands," Nel said.

"Yes, leave it to me."

"I do not believe it is a trap, but nevertheless, please, be careful," Queen Romeria heeded.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty," Fayt comforted. "We'll be fine!"

"That's right," Cyrus said. "What ever those tricks throw at us, we'll hurl it right back."

"It's just like Her Majesty said, 'Everything begins with trust,'" Maria said.

"So it does," the queen replied. "May Apris guide you in your path…"

"I look forward to bringing you good news," Nel said to Clair.

"And we look forward to your safe return." Clair and her subordinates escorted the Queen back to Aquios.

Cyrus and the rest of the gang traveled to Airyglyph. Unfortunately, it wasn't a quiet ride as Cliff and Roger began complaining about who was actually top dog and who was the real ladies man. Adray tried to stop, but was also consumed by the "conversation." The rest, including Cyrus, knew better than to go into their business. By the time they got to the Traum Mountain range the group began to feel the cold winds that wisped through the environment. Everyone wasn't phased by the weather conditions. Even Adray didn't seem to mind the bone chilling temperatures. Maria, Cliff and Roger, however, were different stories. Roger was shivering like there was no tomorrow. This forced him to stop his argument with Cliff who was blowing air in the palms of his hands. Maria didn't shiver as much, but enough for some of the group to notice.

"Are you two okay?" Fayt asked.

"I'll be fine," Maria reassured. "It's only a breeze."

"How 'bout you, Rog?" Cyrus asked.

"It's so cold..." he said before his teeth began chattering.

"You complain too much," Cliff said.

"Don't start that again," Cyrus said with a cold stare that made Cliff shiver even more.

"If you keep that up," Fayt began, "you'll become ice cubes in no time because you used all your energy from a skirmish."

"Don't worry you guys," Nel said. "We'll be at the castle in a minute."

"Right," Maria replied.

In no time at all, the group was at the castle's gate. It was much of a relief for the shivering three. Unfortunately, the group was stopped by the two soldiers that blocked the gate. When that happened, Roger was about to go off on the two, but Adray grabbed his tail before he went any closer. "This don't look good," Cyrus said to himself in a dry tone.

Fayt didn't notice the mad Menodix and walked up to the soldiers. "I'd like to speak with Count Woltar," he said in a calm tone.

"…Who are you and what business do you have with His Excellency?" one of the gatekeepers asked.

"I'm Fayt Leingod. I'm here to pick up Albel Nox."

"Just a moment." The second gatekeeper said. He walked inside the castle, leaving his partner with the rest of the group.

"So... You must be a gatekeeper," Cyrus said, hoping to make a small conversation with the guard.

"Pretty much..." he said in a stoic voice.

"Yeah... Must be... uh... fun to stand here... guarding gates..."

"Yep..."

"Yep... Well, I like the armor..."

"Thanks..."

"So... you... ever caught anyone sneaking in the castle...? Through the front door...?"

"Not on my watch..."

"I see..." The two stood there quietly. In some ways, it was like a scene from Family Guy. Cyrus pulled out his sword medallion and started wiping it. "That's a sharp spear you have..."

"Pretty much..."

"Must be hard keeping them sharp like that..."

"Yep..."

"You ever... used it...?"

"Not lately..."

"I see... Well, I think I fulfilled my wish."

In a few minutes, Woltar and the guard were seen walking from the castle and to Fayt. "So glad you came," he said. "This way."

The group began to walk past the guards. "Well, we should do this... talking thing again..."

"Yeah, okay..." the guard said.

"Well... chow..." With that said, Cyrus rejoined the group inside the castle.

"So this's what the inside of the castle looks like," Fayt said as everyone looked around their surroundings.

"So bright," Cliff said.

"And warm, too," Roger said as he sulked under a nearby light fixture.

Woltar began to chortle softly. "You are the first people to ever enter Airyglyph Castle alive after attempts by all three of our military branches to hunt you down."

"Well when you put it that way, we're a pretty special crew," Cyrus said in a rhetorical manner.

"I guess we should take that as a compliment…" Cliff said.

"That is what I had intended," Woltar said. "Well, shall we? We'll go down the cellar to the left." The group stopped. Nel, above all, had a look of suspicion in her eyes. "…What is wrong? Why do you just stand there?"

"Hold on… Don't those stairs lead to the dungeon?" she questioned. "You're not trying to…"

"You misunderstand me. You're here for Albel, are you not? He is down there." Fayt had a confused look on his face.

"Just come with me and it shall all be clear." Cliff scratched his head. The group was wary, nonetheless, but had no choice but to follow. Down in the dungeon, the group stopped at a door in front of the stairway. "Albel is in here," Woltar said.

"Here?" Fayt said. The Storm Brigade captain opened the cell door and sure enough, Albel was inside. Except, he wasn't as they expected him to be. What they saw was the former captain shackled and unconscious in his restraints. "Why?" was the only word that came to Fayt's mouth when they saw him in his predicament.

"He's been charged with treason, for letting you escape from the Kirlsa Training Facility. Not only that, he let you get away with copper ore stolen from our mine. Of course, the one who brought the charges against him in no longer in this world…"

"Vox, right?"

"That's hardcore animosity there, homies," Cyrus muttered.

"Wait here," Vox said. He walked over to the fatigued body. "I've got an errand for you, boy," he said sharply.

Albel woke up and slowly raised his head. The red eyes were cloudy, but still showed a silent fury ready to be unleashed. "What?" he said in a tired tone.

"You have been given a mission to accompany these people to the Urssa Lava Caves. If you complete this task, you will be acquitted of all charges."

"With those scum?" he spat pushing himself toward the count. "Those…Aquarian scum? You must be joking! You're senile, old man! They're the enemy!"

"What? That warmonger actually agreed to a truce?"

"Vox is no more."

"Dead? Did they kill him?"

"While they did engage Vox in combat, the killing blow was dealt by another."

"Who? Other than these Aquarians and myself, there's no one in this world who could defeat Vox."

"They are not of this world."

Albel chuckled at the statement Woltar made. "You really are going senile, old man. From another world, you say? Tell me another one."

"I can hardly blame you for reacting that way. I'm not sure I believe it myself. But believe this, boy. A new, incredibly powerful enemy has appeared before us. Of this, I have no doubt. That's why we have to work together with Aquaria."

"People from another world? Are you serious?"

"Why would I make something like that up? In any case, without this new weapon, we have no chance of standing against this new enemy. That's why you must go to the Urssa Lava Caves and tame the Marquis."

"The Marquis? You're joking! That monster?"

"The way you brag of your skills, I would think the Marquis would be no match for you." Woltar signaled the guard to release Albel from his bondage. Albel massaged his wrists. "Am I wrong, Albel the Wicked?"

"Rotten old man," the wicked one hissed in pure hatred.

"I bet your father would gladly have risen to the challenge."

"That's enough!" Albel grabbed Woltar by the neck with his normal arm.

"These Aquarians are formidable, too, as I think you well know," he said, surprisingly calm. "If you work with them, you should be able to find a way."

"You make it all sound so simple, old man."

"If you fail, the rest of us are doomed along with you. There'll be no more Aquaria, and no more Airyglyph. This world will be wiped clean."

"Then I must go." Albel releases his grip from Woltar's neck.

"Indeed." Woltar turns back to Fayt and his comrades. "So, everything's settled. Try to get along."

"Aah, what can you do?" Cliff asked.

"I feel like I'm missing something here, but I'll do my best," Maria said.

"Me, too," Fayt replied in agreement.

Albel walked past the group, but before he got to the door, Nel spoke. "I don't like this anymore than you do, Albel," she said. "But Her Majesty has given the order…so I must obey. Just don't hold us back."

The only thing the Airyglyphian warrior said was a retorting "Bah!" As Albel proceeded to the exit, Nel shut her eyes and turned her head. It was clear that there was going to be an "I" somewhere in this team.

"Great..." Cyrus said. "So, anyone for some tea and crumpets?" he said in sarcasm. The group looked at him oddly and Nel glared at him with sharp eyes. "Oh, yeah. The last dude that said that got struck, ice cold." Cyrus scratched his head and snickered slightly.

"So now that we have Albel, I guess it's time to get to the Ursaa Lava Caves," Maria said.

"I'm down with that," Cyrus replied.

"Indeed this shall be interesting," Adray said. "Let us see what Glou's boy has under his sleeve."

The group left the cell and were back in the castle. Albel was waiting at the entrance and wasn't at all in a good mood. "What have you maggots been doing?" Albel snapped. "Enjoying the sites?"

"Naw, we don't do jail cells," Cliff said. "Too dull in my opinion."

"So, I see this maggot likes humor," Albel said. "How about I take care of that the old way. There's a possibility of being deceased, but that's a chance you'll have to take."

"What did you say, drag queen?" The two began to get into each other's face, but Fayt and Cyrus interceded.

"Not now," Fayt said.

"Break it up you two," Cyrus said. As Fayt began to calm down Cliff, Cyrus also tried to bring Albel to a mellow state. "Look, G. You gotta chill. You'll have time to impale and incapacitate foes, not us. As soon as the Marquis' ass gets owned, we'll be gone, dog."

Albel scoffed. "All of you just better stay out of my way. Especially you and that blue hair maggot." Cyrus turned toward Maria and Fayt and looked back at Albel with a confused look. Even the group looked at him whimsically. "The one with the blade, insolent fool!" he snapped. Cyrus raised his hands in submission and backed off. "Now let's go. We'll get some supplies at Kirlsa, then we'll travel to the damn caves."

"Okay," Fayt said. "On to Kirlsa, then."

"Whatever." The group went to the ol' mining town on the other side of the mountains. Cyrus turned to "Guerillas in da Mist" from Da Lench Mob and rejoined the party.

* * *

Part 15.2: Nel's Past

In less than a few minutes, especially on bike in Cyrus' case, the group made it to Kirlsa. He put on "Rust Color" the theme of the town. "Alright worms, I'm going inside the mansion," Albel hissed. It was clear he wasn't in the good mood he was in when the group saw the captain as an enemy. Then again, a day or two shackled in chains can make a sociopath change his attitude and make him more dangerous than ever. Cyrus doubted that Albel, of all people, was taken in quietly. "You're welcome to join, just don't do anything stupid. For example, the small maggot over there..." They turned to Roger, and sure enough, he froze with a pinky up his left nostril and his nails on his butt. Everyone near him moved away from the Menodix.

"_This must not be the greatest highlight in his life," _Cyrus thought.

Roger realized what was going on and quickly stood up straight, putting his hands back in his pocket. An embarrassed look appeared on his face. "You shouldn't be talking, ya dress wearing lunatic!" he countered.

"What ladies men," Cliff muttered, referring to his tailed adversary and drag wearing nemesis. Nel and Maria scoffed at him, with 'you're the one to talk' looks on their face.

"Roger, that lunatic has a rep and is representin' west side rule," Cyrus said. "He could be wearing nothing but a pair of underpants for all anyone cares, and still be the most feared swordsman on the continent." Everyone in the group pictured that thought and shuddered. It was evidently clear that it was a sight that was best to avoid at all cost.

"I'm still here, worms!" an angry Albel shouted, sporting his infamous death glare. "And if any of you insult my wardrobe again, I will personally decapitate your heads and put them on my wall." The group was silent. Nel wasn't phased by the threat and simply rolled her eyes.

Cyrus sighed and shook his head. "Well, let's go!" Cyrus said as he tried to change the subject. "I want to see the inside of Count Woltar's crib, the pad of ops. for the Storm Brigade."

Albel said nothing and, with the rest of the group in tow, went to the establishment. When the group got to the gates, the guards blocked the entrance. "This is the Storm Brigade base, also known as Count Woltar's manor, the duke of Kirlsa."

"The maggots are with me."

"Oh, Sir Albel!" the other soldier quickly said. "My apologies. You are free to enter." The two quickly got out of the way and allowed the crew to pass.

They looked around their surroundings as soon as they came in. "Gotta hand it to him," Cyrus said, "the man's got style."

"It almost looks like the castle," Maria said.

"Yeah," Cliff said. "Just compact sized."

With no real compliance, Albel walked upstairs, joined by his comrades. The group met in his room. "So, you say that you want me to help you defeat the Marquis."

"You didn't hear us before?" Roger said.

Fayt signaled to Roger to stay calm. "Yes," Fayt said.

"How about you tell me why I should accompany you worms to the Lava Caves, where the dragon resides?" Albel hissed.

"Where should we begin," Cyrus said. "Right in the middle of the war the other day, a large ship appeared above the battlefield."

"It was exceedingly powerful," Adray said. "It completely devastated both sides. Leaving a wake of destruction from where it made its assault."

Albel thought for a minute. "You have my attention. Perhaps with such a adversary, I might find a little challenge."

"The reason we need the Marquis is to carry Aquaria's runological weapon, the Thunder Arrow," Cliff said.

"I heard of that armament. It is said to be the most powerful you scum have at your disposal."

"Exactly," Cyrus said. "And what better way to kick ass than with two of the most powerful entities from two countries."

"The reason they came was for Cyrus and myself," Fayt said.

"Why didn't they take you two maggots?" Albel asked.

"Them damn sharks went to being ratfish and attacked the Shrine of Kaddan," Cyrus said.

"They attacked the shrine?"

"That's correct," Maria said. "If we have the power of the Marquis and the Thunder Arrow in this battle, we'll be able to escape."

"I see..."

Cyrus noticed that Nel was gone. He looked around and saw her exiting Woltar's room and going down stairs _"I wonder what's up...?" _he asked himself. Without being noticed, Cyrus walked down stairs and outside, where he saw Nel looking at a new blade she was holding. "Yo, yo, Nel?" he said.

Nel looked up and smiled. "Cyrus, what are you doin' here?" she asked.

"Just thought I needed some air." Cyrus looked at strange new blades. "Can I see that?"

Nel handed the large dagger to Cyrus. He lifted it above his face and was at awe. "This iss a nice weapon you got here," he said as he returned the blade to Nel.

"Yes, they were my father's. They're called the Blades of Ryusen, the royal treasures of Aquaria."

"Tight. So what happened to him?" Cyrus asked. Though he liked playing the game, he seldom played most of the PA's and rarely read the dictionary.

"He died on the field of battle."

"Oh... My bad..."

"It's fine. My father death was an honorable one. Even to the end, he was a strong, compassionate man."

"He sounds pretty cool. If it's no trouble..."

"Alright." Both Nel and Cyrus sat down on the first step. "It was at the beginning of the war with Airyglyph. The leader of the Crimson Blade was Nevelle Zelpher, my father. His mission was to infiltrate the Kingdom of Airyglyph. However, they were overwhelmed by the Storm Brigade. In order to save his men, my father diverted the enemies' attention to himself while the rest of the squad escaped. He succeeded in defeating the soldiers. Unfortunately, he wasn't heard from since then. That was on the account of what a fellow soldier of his told me. It was later found out that my father died in a duel with Count Woltar. He fought valiantly, but in the end, he asked the captain to give him a proper honor. He did not wish to be tortured like a wild animal, so Woltar respectfully carried out his wish. After that incident, I was taken in by a man and his daughter that you already know."

"Who?"

"This warrior is the oldest in our party and fairly wise. Yet, he's also over there angering that lum."

Cyrus looked around the training area and saw Adray at the stables taunting a lum with a carrot. "You mean..."

"That's right." After putting up with Adray's idea of "fun" for long enough, the lum turned around and kicked Adray hard, sending the veteran warrior flying backward. As soon as he crashed in front of the two, Cyrus inhaled sharply and Nel looked away. The young swordsman then pulled out a piece of paper and raised it up, showing 8.0. "After my father went missing, Adray became my guardian and treated me like another daughter and Clair treated me as a sister. When I turned eighteen, it was time to take the responsibilities that my father had before myself. The training was tough, but I succeeded. From that point on, I was now in charge of the Crimson Blade, carrying out my father's duties."

"Whoa..." Cyrus said gasped. "Deep...Anyways, again, I'm sorry about what happened Nel."

"No. Now's not the time to dwell on the past."

There was a short pause. "You're right," Cyrus said as they both stood up. "If we do, we're only putting our present and future at jeopardy."

"You've been listening to Cliff haven't you?" she asked playfully.

"Hey, he's bound to say somethin' worth while. Course, that takes some time in itself." Nel chuckled.

"So there you two are," a voice that sounded like Cliff said. The two turned around and saw the group standing behind them.

"So what are you guys doing here?" Maria asked.

"We were just having a conversation," Nel said.

"Okay," Fayt said. "But if you two are here, then where's Adray?"

Cyrus and Nel got out of the way and Cyrus pointed to the unconscious body. "It's the knocked out old guy with horseshoe prints on his face," he joked. "Can't miss him."

Albel walked past the group with a flat expression on his face. "Hey, where're you going?" Cliff yelled.

"To the lava caves, fool," Albel said. "I have more important things to do than listen to you maggots. We've found the Aquarian wench and the other worm, so there's no excuse to stay here. Let's go."

"Gets on your nerves, don't he?" Cyrus asked Nel.

"I would personally cut his mouth off and shove it up his ass," she said in a bitter tone. Cyrus gulped and pulled the collar of his trench coat with his finger.

"We're just glad he decided to cooperate," Maria said.

"If I was hung from shackles, I'd do whatever it takes to stay out, myself," Cliff said.

"Anytime, maggots," Albel called. With sighs coming from each member, the group went to the Kirlsa Caverns, ready to undertake their new mission.

* * *

Part 15.3: Mountain Mayhem

The group arrived in the Mountains of Barr, the dragon's paradise and the Marquis' turf. Everyone was amazed at the many dragons that flew in their midst. Albel, however, didn't care less. He hated dragons with a passion, and everyone knew of this. However, he wasn't one to let personal feelings stand in the way of a certain task. Especially if it was given by the king himself, or in this case; if his freedom was at stake. "The dragons are flocking like birds," Cliff said as he observed the abundance of the flying reptiles. "Can we really make it through here?"

"An old legend says people used to live in these mountains," Nel informed.

"With the dragons?" Maria asked in astonishment.

"They probably had some way of communicating with them," Fayt said.

"Yeah, sure," Cyrus said in a snide tone. "I find it hard to believe they knew the difference between 'I'll have you at dinner' or 'I'll have you for dinner.'"

"Why are we here anyway?" Roger asked. "Aren't we suppose to be at the lava caves?"

"In order to get to the Ursa Lava 'Caves,' you need to go inside the mountain, fool," Albel hissed.

"How was I suppose to know, ya nutjob," Roger snapped.

The group pressed on, traversing on the mountain path. Cyrus began listening to the "Mount Terroir" theme from the game Musashi: Samurai Legend. On their way, the group had to defeat the local dragons and the porcupines that made their home on the mountain. In one battle with porcupines, however, Cliff and Roger learned the hard way about close combat with these rodents. After the fight, it took about twenty minutes to take the quills out of their skin. "I think we have learned an important lesson about porcupines," Maria said.

"Don't start..." Cliff grumbled as Cyrus plucked the quills from his body.

"You know, there's a bright side to this," Cyrus said.

"It's not you with these in ya," Roger replied.

"There's that. Also, some people use the quills as an ingredient to soups or for other purposes. I'm happy you got them for me."

"Glad we could be of service," Cliff said in a sarcastic tone as he saw Cyrus putting some of the quills in his pack.

The group pressed onwards, scaling the cliffs carefully. Cyrus looked up at the sky every once in a while. To him, the heat was just as hot as in Mosel. Then again, he's wearing a trench coat most of the time, so there's no surprise there. He also wondered about what was happening at home. How were his parents doing? What were his homies up to? Was his sensei alright? How much time passed in his world? Who saved on their car insurance by switching to Geico? Those were only a few questions that ran through his mind. It wasn't long until the group stopped. They arrived at a small boneyard. They looked around, nothing but remains of dragons. "What are we supposed to do now?" Cliff asked.

"It seems there is no way to continue," Adray said. "If only I could actually fly."

"We've heard the stories, old man," Albel said.

Roger pulled out his ax, as he heard the beat of flapping wings. "Do you guys hear that?" he asked.

The group became quiet. The sound became more apparent. "Yeah," Maria complied. "Something's coming."

"I think it's more than one," Fayt said. As if on cue, Fayt was whisked off in the talons of a large Feral Dragon. "Help!"

"Fayt!" Cyrus shouted. Suddenly, more dragons appeared from the sky, swooping down and picking up the members of the group. In seconds, everyone was in the claws of a large, black reptile.

"What's going on here!" Roger yelled, as he was held by his metal arm.

"Do you think they're here for a snack?" Cliff asked as he was carried by the shoulders.

"I'm pretty sure there not here to hunt," Nel said calmly, being held by each arm. "It seems we violated their territory."

"Really?" Albel asked as he was held by his metal arm. "I couldn't tell. I guess the bones were a 'dead' giveaway."

"Let's sizzle down, homies," Cyrus said as he was upside down, holding his cap with one hand and the MP3 Player in the other. "The last thing I want to be is a big, black splat on the ground."

"He has a point," Adray said, being held by the mid section.

"You shouldn't 've opened your mouth about flying, worm!" Albel snapped.

"Shut up, Nox," Nel hissed.

Albel scoffed. "... Aquarian wench..."

"Oh yeah, quality time," Cyrus said under his breath. He then saw the dragon in front, the one with Fayt in its claws, drop the blue-haired swordsman from an altitude around where they were at. "Uh oh," he said to himself. "I'm gettin' that 'painful' feeling."

The group looked at Cyrus and saw a figure similar to Fayt falling to the ground. "Why do I get the bad luck," Cliff whined. In moments, the group descended to the ground, yelling as they fell. Fayt just got up, just to witness his comrades coming down on him. He tried to run, but slipped. By the time he got his footing, it was too late. The group was now a massive pile of weary bodies.

"I've had better days..." Fayt said under the mass.

"I'm glad we could drop in," Cyrus said sarcastically.

"I know what you mean..." the sound of a muffled Roger said. "Luckily, I landed on something soft, today."

"You have three seconds to remove your head from my chest," the voice of an angry Maria said.

He looked up and saw Maria pissed off. Face red and her green eyes staring him down. Roger nervously chuckled. "I've been a naughty boy..." As soon as he said that, Roger was fired out of the pile while at the same time, the mound was separated. Adray, Cliff, Cyrus and Fayt's eyes were open wide and mouths dropped. They couldn't believe that she was able to punish Roger and get everyone out of the mass at the same time.

"Word of advice: Never piss off Maria or Nel," Cliff said.

"I heard that," Cyrus said.

"Respect the ladies if you are to survive unscathed," Adray said.

"Glad I'm not him..." Fayt said.

Maria turned around to her comrades shocked expressions and simply brushed her head back. "Shall we go?" she asked calmly.

Nel walked beside Maria with her hands at her sides. "Let's."

"Please help heal my wounds, m'lady," Roger pleaded.

Nel gave Roger a blank look. "I think I'll pass." The grouped then heard a few screeches. They looked around the area and saw that it was crawling with Mini-Dragons.

"It seems we have to tread carefully," Adray said.

"That's what it looks like," Nel replied.

"What are you worms babbling about?" Albel asked. "These maggots aren't a threat. How about you stand back and watch me clear a path," he said as he pulled out his katana.

"Whatever makes you useful," Cliff said.

In a matter of moments, Albel was slashing the small dragons like there was no tomorrow. In seconds there was a clear path. "And there you have it," he said in a simple tone. Suddenly, small chirps were being heard. Then the chirps became louder and somewhat threatening. They turned around and saw an entire squad of the Mini Dragons, ready to attack. "So, all you worms want some?" Albel yelled. "Take your best shot maggots!" As Albel walked forward, Nel and Cyrus grabbed both arms. "Let me go, fools!" he shouted.

"As much as I love to see you ripped to shreads..." Nel said, "... we need you as a living guide... not a cadaver..."

"You can demonstrate the bushido code later..." Cyrus said. "... But right now... I think it's time to haul ass..."

"I ain't goin' nowhere, fools!" Albel yelled. Unfortunately for him, Cyrus and Nel dragged the flailing Glyphian to the group. The dragons were hot on their trail. Everyone ran for their lives from the low flood of red, until they saw a cave.

"Hey look," Fayt said. "Let's get in, quick!" The group entered the cave in haste. The looked back and saw that the reptiles backing away from the entrance.

"That was too close..." Cliff said panting.

"It's good you found this cave, dog," Cyrus applauded. "Being a chew toy wasn't how I want to go."

Suddenly, the group heard a loud growl emanating through the cave. "What the-?" Adray said. The group got in their battle positions. From around the corner, a small, pink creature appeared. The group was sorta embarrassed that the cause of alarm came in the form of a cute little dragon. Adray gave a haughty laugh.

"Is that a baby dragon?" Fayt asked.

They carefully approached the dragon. Fayt, Cyrus and Maria knelt infront of it. "I admit," Maria said, "it is adorable."

"It's cute when young, yet kicks ass when grown," Cyrus said. "I shall call you Lagi."

"Lagi?" Cliff said in confusion.

"It's from a game. Lagi is the name of a powerful dragon, known to be the savior of the people in a post-apocalyptic planet, ruled by a power hungry empire. With every reincarnation, it boasts the ability to change into many dragons and, with the help of a rider, saves the continent from destruction."

"Oh please, worm," Albel exasperated. "It's a lizard with wings, dammit! Don't try to make it anything other than that." Too bad for him, he was being ignored by everyone. They were too busy petting the dragon to listen to Albel's derogatory remarks. "Lagi" walked away from the group and moved its head from them back to the front.

"I think Lagi wants us to follow," Fayt guessed.

"Now we're being led by the reptile?" Albel sceamed. "Have you thought that its parents are nearby?"

"Loosen up, Mr. Wicked," Cliff said.

"I'll loosen you up!" They followed their new friend to the other end of the cave. Outside, there seemed to be no enemies. Just the sound of a crashing waterfall.

"Thanks, Lagi," Cyrus said. "You're crack-o-lakin', D." The dragon cocked its head and gave a confused look at the group.

"I don't know what he said, either," Nel said. "But I think he means you were a big help." Lagi changed it enigmatic stare into a happy face.

"Alright," Cliff said. "Let's go." The group continued their quest. They went out the new path, but accidently fell upon each other again after they fell in a hole. They recovered and left the newly discovered cave. By the time they left, they noticed that the sunlight was fading.

"It's getting dark," Adray said.

"We better get somewhere safe," Fayt replied.

"Yeah, it's bad enough out here as is," Cyrus agreed.

"There could be a smaller cave around here," Maria said. "We should settle there."

"I don't see why you worms want to stop," Albel said. "But it's not like I'm in a hurry." Albel continued his walk. Cliff simply raised his hands and Nel shut her eyes.

The group hiked up the mountain, looking for shelter, by daybreak, the group had made it to the entrance of a small cave behind a waterfall. "This shelter seems hospitable," Nel said.

Fayt walked inside the den. "What the–?" he shouted. The group quickly rushed in to see what made him yell. They quickly found out that this lair was occupied by the resident evil. It was a Blue Dragon Zombie, and it wasn't ready to give up its territory.

"This is what you call hospitable, wench?" Albel sneered.

"Stay alert," Maria said. "We've dealt with these before."

"It's time for this fool to rest in peace!" Cyrus said.

Cyrus played "Poem" by Taproot and the battle began. Cliff charged at the corpse and used Sphere of Might. Unfortunately, the attack didn't cause much damage. All four swordsman charged into the monster, blades ready to slice and dice. As they were closed in, the monster blew a lick of Fire Breath. The attack caused the warriors to fall backwards. The only attack that seemed to do some kind of damage was Maria's Scatter Beam. Roger ran toward the creature, dropping his Land Mines. As Maria kept shooting, Roger ran around the diverted monster. The zombie was in range to use its Fire Breath. Unfortunately, the attack was interrupted as the explosives went off. With the combined attacks of the lasers and explosives, the Dragon Zombie began weaken, greatly. Nel also came into the brawl. In less than a few minutes, the enemy was destroyed. The remains seeped into the ground, where it belonged.

"Now that was poetry," Roger said.

"You finally did something right," Maria said.

"Thank you, m'lady."

After the group healed themselves, they looked around the cave in shock. "These are...!" Fayt said in terror.

"...Dragon skeletons!" Maria finished.

"It must be a dragon graveyard," Cliff said.

"Somethin' serious must've gone down," Cyrus quoted. Suddenly, they hear a strange sound echoing through the cave.

"Sounds like an air dragon!" Cliff yelped. "Where the heck is it?"

Nel stood calmly. "There's no need to panic," she said. She walked over to one of the remains. The sound of the creature was heard more distinctly. "It's only the wind blowing through this bone here." She pulled out the bone and the group looked at it.

"Ah," Adray said relieved. "It is but a dragon's windpipe, a well deserved prize."

"Okay, why?" Cyrus asked.

"A dragon's windpipe is quite a valuable item," Nel answered. "I've heard that flutes made from them can produce special sounds."

"Sounds like something special," Fayt said.

Roger looked outside the cave. "It looks like we're gonna have to stay here tonight," he said.

"Fine, who wants to stand watch?" Cliff asked.

"I have an idea," Nel said. She pulled out her dagger and laid it on the ground.

"We playin' a new version of spin the bottle?" Cyrus asked.

"You could say that." Cyrus gave Nel a cock-eyed look. "Everyone get in a circle. I'm going to spin my dagger. Whoever the blade points to will be on look out."

"Sounds fair, fool," Albel said. "Simple, but fair." Nel glanced at him, but she shook her head and spun her dagger. It revolved around for five minutes. Albel took a glance at it every so often. The group looked intently at the spinning knife. Then it slowed down until it stopped on... Cyrus. The swordsman knew there were no do-overs in this game.

"Guess I'm workin' the graveyard shift," he shrugged.

"Well, now that were done, how 'bout we move some of these bones and get some shut-eye," Cliff said as he stretched his arms.

As Cyrus moved to the cave opening, Albel passed by saying, "Sleep tight, worm. Don't let the dragons kill you."

"Thanks for your concern, homes," Cyrus replied. Later on, when it was night in the mountain, Cyrus looked up in the sky, staring at the moon. He still couldn't help but wonder what was going on. _"Why was I chosen to travel this path?" _he asked himself. _"Is it really destiny, or is this all a mistake?" _Cyrus then heard a sound of footsteps. He turned around and saw Maria walking towards him. "Still up I see," he said in a casual voice.

"You could say that." There was a brief pause. "Cyrus?"

"Yo."

"Why is Lystara so interested in us?" Cyrus quickly turned his head toward the blue-haired leader. "She made a clone of you out of thin air and she knew about my Alteration gene. Not even I knew about that ability. I still find it hard to believe I have the power to cross other dimensions."

Cyrus looked down to the ground. "I have no idea," he said. "I do know one thing. She's a dangerous foe. And with my clone at her side, she's even more so than before. But if she's able to do so with me..." The two looked at Fayt, sleeping peacefully behind them.

"With both yours and his at her side, she could be a powerful foe," Maria said.

"I know." Cyrus said in a depressed tone. He shook his head and decided it was time to change the subject. "But we can't do anything at the moment. Though we are against a deadly foe, we must forget about her. Right now, we gotta find a way to get off this rock ball and to the ship."

"Yes. How are we going to get anything accomplished if we keep focusing on something else."

"Exactly."

"Also, Cyrus, thanks."

"Huh?"

"If you didn't stop Stratus, I would've been..." As Maria was about to finish, she felt some weight land on her arm. She turned to her left and saw Cyrus out like a light. She made a light smile and looked up in the sky.

The next morning, Cyrus felt a sharp kick in his back. "Wha-? Hey what's your problem, he said looking up.

"You made it through the night, maggot," was the response Albel gave.

"So what is it?" Cyrus asked in a groggy tone.

"It's time to move, fool. So get your ass up and check your stuff."

Cyrus got up and brush himself off. "Gee, if I ever need an alarm clock, I'll be sure to call you," he snapped sarcastically. Albel scoffed. He put his claw on the hilt of his katana and walked outside. "'So get your ass up and check your stuff,'" he repeated wryly. The group trekked down the mountain. They made a brief stop at a workshop where Fayt modified the windpipe into a Dragon Bone Flute. They went back to the cave (the one they fell into the day before) Where they found a staircase to an old ruin. The entrance, however; was blocked by a dragon relief.

"Great, a picture's in the way," Cliff said.

"Are you sure this is the way to the caves?" Nel asked.

"Of course, wench," Albel said. "Do you doubt me?"

"I don't," Cyrus said. He walked up to the large rune. He began to inspect the wall. He even tapped his sword on the barrier.

"What are you doing?" Roger asked.

"This thing is pretty thick and there's no cracks," he deduced. "Funny. You'd see a small hole or at least hear a distortion somewhere." _"I guess it's time to use plan B,"_ he thought. "Fayt, could I see the flute?"

"Sure, I guess." Fayt handed the object to Cyrus.

Somehow, Cyrus was able to play the notes. In no time at all, the relief disappeared and the ruins were now open. "Hey look, ancient passage!" he said facetiously.

"The maggot came in useful after all," Albel said.

"Your welcome, too," Cyrus said. "I'm gettin' bored. Let's get this over."

"Right," Fayt said. "Let's go." The group entered the chamber and went a room on the left. Inside this place they made a gory discovery.

On the far side of the room were remains of brass dragons floating in test tubes. In the middle of the lab, laid a blood stained test table. This was a sight that made Cyrus' stomach turn. _"Man, I think I just lost my appetite"_ he thought.

"Live together with dragons?" Cliff asked himself. "Is this what that means?"

"They entered the dragons' lair, hunted them down, and then performed all kinds of experiments on them," Fayt said.

"Why would they do such a thing?" Roger asked.

"Research," Cyrus said simply. "For a civilization to progress, sometimes sacrifices are made. In this case, to learn about life means execution for advancement of knowledge."

"What a barbaric way to learn," Adray said.

"Seems so," Cliff reply. "If they were really living together, they wouldn't mercilessly slaughter them like this."

"How terrible," Nel said. Albel huffed in response to the comment. "Something wrong?" she turned and asked.

"Do you realized how many dragons we've killed so far?" Albel asked.

"But we–!"

"'We had no choice,' is what you were going to say, right? Either way you look at it, there's really not much of a difference."

Everyone in the room was silent. "There is a difference," Cyrus said. "What we did was self-defense. The people in this lab were wack. They went around with their swords or whatever, and shanked everything that moved. Then they threw the remains here in jars and moved on to the next. You call that as no difference?"

"How about you study our predicament more carefully, fool?" Albel asked. "We are no different from them. Think about it. We killed to survive. The people here didn't kill just for sport. They also needed to defend themselves. The reason for this is simple. We're trespassers on their territory."

"You're right, there. But again you're missing the simple factor of why we're here: cause. We came here to get help. None of us actually intended on coming here. Our only business in the place is to find the Lord of the air dragons and save the kingdoms. The people that were here recently came for nothing like that. They came on an 'expedition.' Look around. This ain't our lab. We didn't come here to persecute anything. In short, we ain't them. There's always a difference, G."

Albel gave a light cackle. "Whatever, maggot. Having to reason with you is wasting time. Why am I bringing myself down to you fools level anyhow. Let's hurry up. The sooner we do this, the quicker you fools can go back to... wherever the hell you came." With that, Albel walked out the room.

Cyrus folded his arms and glared. "Man, he ticks me off. But I guess the home boy has his reasons," he shrugged.

"Yeah, but if I have to deal with that any longer..." Cliff pound his fist into his hand. "It's going to get real ugly."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Fayt said. The group left the lab and hooked back up with Albel. They head north through the corridor and into a large room filled with pads. Unfortunately, there were more dragon carvings in the way.

"Man, why do all relief paintings have to look like this?" Cliff asked.

"Yeah," Maria said in agreement.

"There's something written here," Nel said as she saw some writing under the relief. "It looks like Dragon Runes. 'Offer the dragon's cranium while within the cross.' 'The dragon reliefs seek nothing than their favorite sound.' What could that mean?"

"I think I know..." Cyrus said as he left.

"Where are you going, maggot?" Albel asked.

"I gotta check somethin' out." Cyrus went back to the lab. He took out a skull from one of the tubes and punched out a large top section. He held back the urge to throw up. He held up the Dragon's Cranium in his right hand and thought to himself, _"I literally popped a cap from a dragon... I feel so... dirty."_ He shuddered at the end of his thought. When he looked back at the tube he obtained the skull from, he had envisioned someone in it. Someone familiar. Not only that, he also heard whispers saying "Project: Yggdrasil." His eyes opened wide at this. It was something coming straight from a sci-fi movie. He quickly shook his head, regaining composure. _"I wonder what that was? Heh... Must be something I watched before coming to this dimension." _With that thought, he calmly went back to the group. "I got the bone."

"Do you really think it meant an actual cranium?" Adray asked.

"It's worth a shot," Cyrus shrugged.

"We can't really do anything, anyway," Maria said. "I have a feeling that we need to activate these floor pads."

"It's worth a shot," Fayt said. The group moved throughout the ruin. With the help of the bone flute, they were able to trigger the mats. Afterwards, Fayt gave up the Dragon's Cranium as an offering. Up north, at the entrance to the lava caves, the group was ready to take there first steps into the unknown territory. As the approached, something glided toward them. It appeared to be a child hovering above. Looking around thirteen years of age, the kid's most distinguished feature was the long feather on his hat. He hovered behind the crew with a small grin on his face. "Who's that?" Fayt asked.

"Hello there!" the boy said. "It's been quite some time since anybody's come this way! It's gonna be fun having somebody to beat up again!"

"Great," Cliff huffed. "The only thing worse than a spoiled brat, is a flying one."

"I'll act like it wasn't referring to me," Roger muttered.

"It wasn't. But if you insist..."

"I guess you two worms are with me," Albel said.

The two looked at him oddly, but accepted his offer. Albel, Cliff and Roger charged into battle against Robin Wind. It was and arduous one to say the least. At one point, it seem that the three had the upper hand. Then the tables turned as Robin Wind began to use his signature moves: Aerial Slash and Rising Stream. The group wanted to join, but either Cliff or Albel would tell them to stay put. They were more focused on their pride than anything else. In time, the three were victorious as Albel, Cliff and Roger delivered the final strike to the flying foe. "No!" Robin Wind shouted. "You bullies! I'll be back for you! Just wait and see!" With the threat made, Robin Wind made a hasty retreat.

"The kid needs to lay off the juice," Cyrus said.

"I think I know what you mean," Maria replied.

"Now that he's gone," Fayt said, "Let's go."

"Yeah," Cyrus said. The group entered the Ursaa Lava Caves, ready to complete the mission that will determine success, or failure.

* * *

Part 15.4: Simple Complexity

As soon as the group stepped in the lava caves, they began to feel the hot temperatures. The place was filled with pools of lava (hence its name) and monsters galore. It's hard to believe the Marquis would make its home out here. Cyrus pulled his arms out of the trench coat's sleeves and snapping the top buttons, wearing it as a cloak. The group walked forward and saw three paths to choose from. "So which way?" Adray asked. "It seems that we are completely stuck. What do you suppose, Master Fayt?"

"It seems that we need to split up."

"One problem," Roger said. "Three paths and one... two... three... eight of us."

"Three of us take two, two of us take one," Cliff said.

"So what are the teams?" Nel asked.

"It seems me, Cliff and Adray can take the left path," Fayt said. "Albel and Roger can take the middle. That only leaves the right to you, Cyrus and Maria."

"Hold on, worm," Albel said with abject. "Why do I get partnered up with this maggot?"

"Why can't I be with Nel? I've been good," he said in a sweet voice. "Why do I get grouped with this dimwit?"

"Dimwit? If I do remember, I wasn't the one who sought entertainment by picking my own mucus and scratching my ass."

"Yet you are the one who is wearing a dress and wearing braids like a little girl."

"I have a feeling that they've answered each other's problems," Cliff said.

"Yeah, I think you're right," Fayt agreed.

"Let's go before they involve us in this damn dispute," Cyrus said.

"Right," Nel replied. The group parted ways; except for Albel and Roger who were still arguing.

"Man, those dudes are some work, huh?" Cyrus said.

"You're telling me," Maria said. "It's strange how similar they are and they don't even know it."

"Both are obnoxious and intolerable," Nel said.

"They're crazy," Cyrus said. "Strong, but crazy." All three gave small chuckles. By the time they got to the end of the path. They saw themselves in the presence of a large stone carving that appeared to resemble a rabbit. "I don't know about you... but that's the biggest lagomorph I've ever seen," he said in astonishment. The statue must've been about fifteen feet tall. Bigger than portrayed in the game.

"I wonder why someone made this?" Nel asked.

"Same here," Maria said.

Cyrus moved behind the large stone and plucked out some Rabbit Ears Keys. He moved back to the women and showed him what he found. "I wonder what the keys are for?" Cyrus asked.

"A door perhaps?" Maria said in a sarcastic tone.

"Funny," Cyrus replied in a simple tone.

"Where's a door here?" Nel pondered.

"Well, there's no point staying here," Maria said. "Let's see if the others found anything."

"It's not like I wanna stay and watch lava flow," Cyrus said wryly. They went back the way they came and stopped. They saw that Fayt and his party made it back.

"What did you guys find?" Adray asked.

"Nothing much," Cyrus said. "Just a key." Cyrus handed the item to Fayt, who studied it carefully.

"Rabbit ears... I wonder..."

"Fayt...?" Maria said, wondering what the azure-headed boy was thinking about.

"I think we found something. C'mon." Fayt and the entire group rushed to the left path. When they got there, they saw a door in the way.

Cyrus walked toward the door and saw a message. "Hey, a note. 'No Monsters Allowed. Don't go looking for a spare key! By the Bunny.' I didn't know monsters could read."

"Neither did I," Nel said.

"I guess the spare key is the Rabbit Ears Key?" Fayt wondered.

"There's only one way to find out," Cliff said. Fayt nodded and inserted the key into the hole. He twisted the lock and the door was opened.

"I guess this is it," Fayt said. They went inside the new area, only to find themselves blinded by the steamy fog that covered the place. "This fog is thick."

"No kidding, worm," Albel said.

"So how are we supposed to get around?" Cliff asked.

"A true warrior uses more than just his eyes," Adray said.

"Not another speech, old man," Albel groaned.

"He must also harbor his other four senses in order to achieve true victory."

"So what do you suppose we do?" Roger asked. "Lick our way to safety?"

"I don't think that's what he meant, Roge," Cyrus replied in a low tone. "I think it's time to feel."

"It seems like that's our only choice," Fayt said. The group felt their way through the cave, hoping they make to wherever it is in time. There efforts finally pay off when they wind up at a small house in the middle of the volcano. "A house?" Fayt said, asking no one in particular.

"I think it's fine," Cyrus said. "Let's go in. See what's up."

The group nodded and Cyrus opened the door. Inside, the place was small. "Hey!" a voice shouted. "Who are you?" The group turned. The owner of the question was a small rabbit-like humanoid wearing a green hat and a button up shirt; also green. "Didn't you see the message not to search for a spare key?"

"Spare key?" Fayt asked.

"He probably means the Rabbit Ears Key," Maria said.

"Oh yeah. That key."

"Well, no matter," the humanoid said. "Besides, you don't seem to be monsters. So, what do you want?"

"First, let's introduce ourselves. I'm Fayt. This is Maria. And he's Cyrus."

"These guys are also with us," Maria said.

"Hey, I have a name, too, you know!" Albel hissed.

"I'm Vanilla," the resident said. "Pleased to meet you."

"Likewise," Cyrus said.

"We've come to speak with the Marquis, the dragon who lives somewhere in these caves," Fayt said.

"Speak with…him?" Vanilla replied, scratching his head. "Hmm… The entrance to his lair is blocked by volcanic rock. You can't get in."

"Aren't you in charge of these caves?"

"I have nothing to do with this place. I'm just an uninvited guest."

"Oh... Shocking," Cyrus said.

"Bah… I told you this place was a waste of time. Fool." Albel said to Nel.

"I don't remember you saying that," Nel responded.

"Me neither." With that said, Nel put her hand on her forehead, feeling a headache coming on.

"Is there any way to remove the volcanic rock?" Fayt asked Vanilla.

"There's a way, but… I'll need a glowstone to make a Ring of Disintegration. You could use that to remove it."

"A Ring of Disintegration?" Maria said.

"'Disintegration' refers to a special runological force that makes objects disappear forever," Vanilla explained. "A Ring of Disintegration is an item with just such a power. Anyone can use it."

"Are you saying you can make a Ring of Disintegration for us?" Fayt asked.

"Well, I am an inventor, appearances notwithstanding. A glowstone… Hmm… Do you know the Airyglyph Aqueducts? I believe there's one hidden in the ice-covered room there. Do you really want a Ring of Disintegration that badly?"

"Yep. We have to speak with the Marquis."

Vanilla begins to think. "When do you need it by?"

"Then you'll make one for us?" Maria asked.

"Well, it'll put food on the table. So, when do you need it by?"

"As soon as possible."

"How much will you pay me to make it?"

"Umm… Let's see…" Fayt thought.

"How 'bout thirty grand?" Cyrus asked.

"As in thirty thousand fol.?" Vanilla asked. "Really? You'll pay that much? Yippee!" Vanilla was now ecstatic.

Fayt was speachless. "Oh, uhh… Hold on a sec."

"Fayt, easy, homes," Cyrus replied, trying to calm him down. "The rabbit lives in a cave. A lava cave. The least he could afford with that money is a pack of ice, a fan even."

"A man never goes back on his word," Vanilla said. "Isn't that right, young lady?" Maria was speechless and Cyrus raised an eye brow. "All right then, the entrance to the room where you'll find the glowstone is covered in ice. Use these disintegration bombs to break through, and then bring the glowstone back to me. I'm only giving you ten, so don't go wasting them. Oh, and… Take this, too. Equipping it will give you more experience for beating even weak enemies. Of course, it makes them more challenging, too." Vanilla hands Fayt disintegration bombs and a Gutsy Bunny.

"Challenging toward the weak, eh?" Cyrus said. "Sounds fun."

"Thanks," Fayt said in appreciation.

"I'll be waiting right here," Vanilla said.

"Well, chow," Cyrus replied as he left toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Fayt asked.

"It sounds simple enough," Cyrus said cooly. "Get in, get the rock, get out. Nothing else, right?"

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"I'll go to," Nel said. "Nox, over there, is becoming unbearable."

"Alright," Fayt said. "Just be careful."

"You got it," Cyrus said.

"Have fun on your date," Cliff called out jokingly. Nel and Maria gave the Klausian a stern look, sending chills down his spine.

"Try not to crash anymore ships while I'm away," Cyrus replied, causing some of the group laugh. The trip would be much shorter as there was a representative of the Dragon Brigade willing to lend his services. The two for the caves. In less than an hour, the group arrived at the Aqueducts. "If I were a glowstone, where would I hang?" he asked himself.

"I think it's this way," Nel said as she carefully walked north. Cyrus was about to ask, but shrugged instead and walked behind her. They used a bomb on the chunk of ice in their way. When they entered the room, they looked in a few treasure chest and found the glowstone.

"See? Easy," Cyrus said. Suddenly, they felt the ground below them quake.

"I don't think you should've said that," Nel said. At the moment the quake started, it mysteriously ended as a small rift appeared. It seemed as though it was sucking up, but instead, something came out. He landed in a kneeling position and stood straight. The vortex closed. Both Nel and Cyrus knew who this enemy was. It was none other than a smiling Stratus.

"Why hello, all," he said in glee. "I wonder where Maria is? I was hoping I could carry out my mission and kill her today."

"Back off, you crunk copy," Cyrus said.

"Oh, I'm hurt. Don't you remember that I'm your alter ego? The yang to your yin? The good in your evil."

"Evil?" Nel said. "You're the that's carrying out Lystara's orders. You're trying to destroy us for what? So you could get on her good side?"

"You dare speak about Ms. Catalysta with such imprudence?" Stratus shouted. "Nay I say, wench! Lystara plans to recreate this universe and regenerate it as her own vision. She not only wants to do it in this dimension, but in others to. Making them all into what she would call, perfection. In order to do that, however, all she asks is for you to surrender your will to our own. Isn't sacrificing your pathetic lives a small price to pay?"

"You make me sick," Nel hissed.

"I used to think my yang was the smart side," Cyrus began, "but after speaking to you, I guess it's down a few brain cells. Right now, you're looking like her puppet, no, worse. Her own personal towel boy."

"You incompetent..." Stratus was saying plainly, but he cut himself off. "If this is how it is, then I guess you'll leave me no choice. You shall die at the hands of my ice cold steel."

"Bring it on," Cyrus said.

"We can take whatever you can throw at us," Nel said.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," Stratus replied.

Cyrus turned his MP3 Player to "The True Mirror (Guitar Version)" from the Baten Kaitos soundtrack. Stratus charged at both members, but Nel and Cyrus dodged out of the way. The two jumped high and catapulted themselves at Stratus. Stratus looked up and saw the attacks coming. He raised his hand and shouted, "Light Beam!" In moments, a stream of light shot from the palm of his hand and hit both warriors. They fell hard on the ground, but were able to pick themselves up. Stratus then added the light element to his sword: Light Sword; and charged at Nel. He went for a jab, but Nel blocked with her daggers. Cyrus, who already activated Darkness Blade, came in to make a slash, but Stratus pushed himself back. He punched Cyrus as soon as he turned to face him.

Cyrus staggered back a bit and moved his jaw. "You've gotten stronger since the last time we met," he said.

Stratus was about to use Break Beats on Cyrus, but Nel quickly countered the attack with her Shadow Wave. Stratus' was now on the ground and Cyrus dropped with him, but the clone didn't give up yet. He kicked back up and cross slashed both opponents with his Light Sword. Both the Crimson Blade and the dark shizznit were sent back a bit. Stratus jumped on a sheet of ice, avoiding Nel and Cyrus' strikes from the daggers and sword. From up there, Stratus smugged and launched his Ice Needles. The two barely dodged the technique. When they landed back on the ground, they were beginning to show the effects of pain and fatigue. Stratus leapt down from the block and stalked them. He put his sword back in his sheath and stopped inches away from in front of his opponents. He insulted them by brushing his shoulders. Stratus' body was now engulfed in a water cyclone. He began using the break dancing move called the flare. Each swing of his legs caused more damage to Cyrus and Nel. After a few revolutions, Nel and Cyrus were down and unable to get up. "That was called the Water Cyclone Flash," Stratus said. "I hope you liked it." Both warriors tried to raise their heads, but were too weak. "Well this is the part where I say adieu as these will be the last breaths you make." As Stratus raised his sword, he stopped. "Lystara..." he said as he looked up. Both Cyrus and Nel gave him stern looks, but were unsure of what was going on. "Yes, ma'am... I'll let them slip..." He put his sword back in his sheath and looked down at them with a less than satisfied look. "It seems you two are lucky today. But mark my words, your fortune will run out." With that said, Stratus turned around and left through a small dimensional rip.

The two laid on the ground. After twenty minutes, they picked themselves up and used healing symbology on one another. They groaned as they felt aches all over their bodies. "Are you okay?" Nel asked.

"I can't believe I lost to him!" Cyrus shouted as he pounded the ground before he got up. "I feel so screwed. My own... copy, and I lost."

"Cyrus..." Nel said trying to lull the swordsman. "Stratus has gotten stronger than both of us. It's not our fault."

Cyrus sighed. He knew that Nel was right. "You're correct. If he didn't stop, we could've been shanked, six feet under," he began to ponder himself. "I guess we should forget that. Fo' all I know, Lystara boosted the power of that clone, somehow."

"We should be careful if we meet him again," Nel advised.

"Yeah. I hate to say it, but if we don't watch it, we could be goners." Cyrus decided it was now time to change subject. "You still have the glowstone?"

"Yes," Nel said as she held the rock up. "We should head back. We've stayed here long enough."

"Let's go. I don't plan on staying in this freezer any longer." The two went back to the mountain via Dragon Brigade soldier. In an hour, the group returned to Vanilla's house, still sporting the scars from battle.

"Nel, Cyrus!" Fayt called.

"What happened m'lady," Roger asked.

"It was Stratus," Nel replied. "He appeared out of nowhere and attacked."

"What?" Adray shouted in shock. "The being with no soul."

"That's right," Cyrus explained. "Except he's like, super charged now."

"Vanilla, is it okay that they rest here?" Maria asked.

"No, we're fine," Nel quickly said.

"Yes, we already had some rest in Airyglyph," Cyrus said.

"Are you sure you can go on?" Cliff asked.

"Positive," Cyrus said. "Besides, we were taken off guard, that's all." The swordsman walked over and gave Vanilla the glowstone. "Here's the rock, rabbit dude."

"All right, wait just a moment. I'll make the ring for you." The bunnyman went to work. In about an hour and a half, Vanilla presented the Fayt with a brand new Disintegration Ring. "Done! Here's your Ring of Disintegration. This is something that really requires more time and money. But, since both are in short supply, I only could make a ring that disintegrates certain things. Time and money are far more important than talent, so it couldn't be helped."

Fayt was quiet. "Well now that we have the ring, let's go get us a dragon," Cliff said.

"Mr. Marquis, you're next on the list," Roger said. With that said, the group said farewell to Vanilla and left to find the Marquis, the lord of the air dragons.

* * *

Part 15.5: Enter the Dragon

The group arrived back in the main chamber. They looked around and saw the only passage that hasn't been taken was the one in the middle. The group agreed to take the route. At the end of the passage, Fayt used the Disintegration Ring on the large rock, revealing a large door. "Well, this is it," Adray said. "All our efforts are just beyond this door."

"It's time, worms," Albel said.

"I've got to admit," Cyrus said. "I'm getting a little amped."

"I wonder if he grants wishes," Roger said. The group looked at the little Menodix oddly. "What?"

"I won't even go there," Cliff said.

"What matters is if we will be able to reason with this beast," Maria said.

"Our only hope for saving our kingdoms is if the Marquis will actually accept our proposal," Nel said.

"Let's hope he does," Fayt said. The group entered the room, and were in for a 'big' surprise. The group entered the room with shocked expressions. Inside this lair was a large orange dragon that looked more of a statue than a giant life form. The creature must of been twenty feet tall and between thirty or forty feet. Its main pair of wings may have spanned at least fifty feet from one tip to the other. At the moment, the monster was motionless.

"How come everything looks so damn bigger in person?" Cyrus asked himself.

"It's huge..." Fayt said.

"Now that's just too big," Maria said.

"I don't know about you, but that is the biggest lizard I've ever seen," Roger pointed out.

"We're lucky it's sleeping right now," Cyrus commented.

"I can see why they call him the Marquis," Cliff said. "Impressive."

"I really hope he'll go along with our proposal…" Nel trailed.

"It won't be that easy, fool," Albel stated, looking at Nel in the corner of his eye.

"What did you call me?" she said, pulling out her dagger.

Suddenly, the dragon's arm started to stir. "Huh? It moved!" Fayt said, being the first to notice.

The dragon's red eyes opened and its stretched it wings, causing a small tremor in the process. "Who dares disturb my sleep?" the dragon demanded.

"Oh shit," Cyrus said. "Cranky dragon be angry."

"Whoa!" Cliff yelped in astonishment. "The dragon talks?"

With that said, the dragon groaned. "…Another ill-mannered human, I see. Do you believe you are the masters of all creation? Why are you so surprised that other creatures can speak? You act as though you know everything. Ages pass, yet you humans never learn."

"Wow," Roger said. "It's not only the largest lizard, but a talented one, too."

"You really want to piss it off, do you?" Cyrus asked sternly toward the child. Roger was now laughing nervously.

Nel walked toward the large reptile and knelt before it. "I'm Nel Zelpher, agent of Aquaria. We've come to request the Marquis's aid, Your Excellency."

"A maiden of Aquaria?" the dragon said. "Speak your purpose."

"Yes, Your Excellency. A great threat is menacing these lands. We need Your Excellency's help to stop it."

The Marquis huffed. "I sensed the restlessness outside. What would you have me do?"

"We'd like you to bear the runological weapon we developed, so that we can deal with this threat."

"Imbeciles!" his excellency roared.

"I believe we could've left that part out," Adray whispered to Cliff.

"I think that would've been good."

"You would have me bear on my own back something made by human hands?" the dragon asked, defending his pride. "Do not insult me, humans. I am great and ancient, and you are nothing. How could you think I would acquiesce to such a foolish request?"

"It seems our reptile buddy needs some social skills," Cyrus said to Fayt, who nodded in response.

Nel stood up. "Even so, we cannot leave until you agree!"

"I could not care less!" the dragon scoffed.

"Nel, forget it," Cliff said. "Turkeys like this need to be smacked around a bit before they'll listen."

"Now that's a first," Albel said to himself. "We're both of the same opinion."

"I agree that humans are nothing special," Maria replied. "But I wonder if you are as great as you say you are. Perhaps you need a lesson in humility."

"Yes, in the 'west side's representin'' category," Cyrus replied.

"Your Excellency…" Fayt asked. "Is there no way you'll agree to cooperate?"

"None!" the dragon said in a flat tone.

"Oh well," Fayt said as they all pulled out their weapons. "We'll have to force you to listen!"

"You are free to try. Convince me of your worth and I shall listen to all you have to say!"

"We'll hold you to your word, Your Excellency!" Maria said.

"It is a promise I shall not have to keep!" The dragon outstretched its wings again and landed in the ring.

"Cyrus, Albel, you ready?" Fayt asked.

"Giant dragon gonna get bitch slapped," Cyrus replied.

"I've been waiting to see what this maggot got," Albel said. "Let's go, worms."

Cyrus turned his music player to "Vitriolic a Stroke" from Baten Kaitos and the fight began. Cyrus and Fayt charged at the large creature while Albel went in the lead with his furious zig-zagging attack. The giant air dragon charged at the swordsman, ready to stampede. The two forces clashed, Albel's metal arm was stopped by the larger foe's claw. Fayt and Cyrus jumped at the creature's head, every slash delivering it more damage than the last. Albel used his Shockwave Swirl at the enemy, causing the Marquis to crash to the ground. It picked itself up and began to stampede to the group. Cyrus and Albel got out of the way. At the last second, Fayt sidestepped from the dragon's large feet, inches away from becoming flatten. Albel rushed at the massive foe with Cyrus not too far behind. The Glyphian raised his claw and sword at the same time and slashed, giving the creature major damage. Cyrus looked at Fayt and both knew what to do. Fayt quickly rushed at the dragon lord and used Side Kick. All six strikes of fancy footwork caused damage in a large amount. The enemy was now weakened, but still standing. That was until Cyrus charged at him. He jumped up at chest level and used Raptor's Revenge. After five hard blows, the monster was down. "Some lord," Albel said. "Vox was more of a challenge than this worm."

Suddenly, the three heard a loud, but light chuckle. It came from the Marquis as it stood itself up. "Not bad for mere humans," he complemented. "And an even better challenge than that man who subdued Tempest. This shall be the first time in ages I have had to really earn my name!"

"Great, he's not down yet?" Fayt asked.

"I ain't gonna answer," Cyrus replied.

"Finally, some fun," Albel said.

Cyrus changed the track to "The Divine Spirit of Language," from Star Ocean: Till the End of Time. The three swordsmen charged at the Marquis again, but this time, the dragon used Doom Raid. It opened its wings and launched into the air. With every flap the creature kicked up strong winds. The trio were hit hard by the attack, but they weren't out. Cyrus activated his Darkness Blade ability and Fayt used Blazing Sword. The two charged at the Marquis and started slashing at the dragon, but went flew up in the air again. However, instead of using Doom Raid as Cyrus thought, the dragon used this as an advantage and started the breathe fire. All the swordsmen started evading the streams of flame. After a few minutes of dodging the attacks, the lord landed to the ground and aimed for Cyrus. The behemoth aimed at the warrior with its Supreme Fire Breathe. However, Cyrus quickly went under the dragon and decided that it was the perfect time to use Power Up. The Marquis knew where he was and slashed, but Cyrus quickly dodged the large claws of the beast and used Power Up on Fayt and Albel. The three attacked at the same time, causing serious damage to the Marquis. The Marquis was now seriously injured and began shooting fire at all corners. Unfortunately, none of the attacks connected. It was time to finish off his excellency. Albel used his Air Slash, which hit the monster hard. Fayt weakened it further with his Blade of Fury. All three were powerful and left majestic creature breathing heavily. Now it was time for the coup-de-gras, and Cyrus' smile showed that he was ready to deliver. Cyrus was surrounded by the dark aura and rushed at the creature like a streaking comet. The enemy dragon was another victim of the attack known as Shadow Slash. The attack was powerful enough to sent the monster back on its throne, falling down hard. The battle was now truly over. "Have I ever said that we were bad asses?" Cyrus asked rhetorically.

"We did it," Fayt said. "We defeated the Marquis."

The Marquis growled in pain. "…To live 700 years only to suffer at the hands of mere humans."

"Ouch, talk about the agony of defeat," Cyrus said.

"You'll keep you word, right?" Maria asked.

The weakened creature slowly rose it's tired body. "Though it is humiliating to serve your kind, breaking one's word is a despicable act," the Marquis replied. "I have no choice."

"All right, then," Nel said.

"You may ride on my back, small but powerful humans. I shall bear you wherever you desire."

"Don't need to sound depress, dude," Cyrus said. "You gotta admit, this would be one fo' the history books."

"I am not one who wishes to be entered in your records." The dragon lowered its large body down. Fayt, Cyrus and the rest of the gang climbed on the back of the large creature. Adray was giving loud laughs.

"Don't mind Adray," Roger said. "It's his first time."

"I see..."

"Ummm… What should we call you?" Fayt asked.

"Call me Crosell, little one."

"Well then, Crosell. Would you start by heading towards Castle Aquaria to the east?"

"As you wish!" The dragon stretched its large wings and flew out of the mountain. The group looked down at where the sights. It was amazing how the high they were.

Cyrus was among the amazed. He could hardly believe that he was riding on the back of a large reptile. "This is amazing!" he shouted in joy. "I can't believe that I'm actually flying on such a creature!"

"'Amazing' doesn't even scratch the surface," Adray said. "Neither does 'astounding' either. I don't think there is a word to describe this."

"Hold on!" Crosell said. "I'm sensing a disturbance."

"Is it another battleship?" Cliff asked.

"I don't think so," Maria said as she looked up at her left. The group turned their heads to the direction she was facing and saw a rift opening.

"What in the world...?" Albel said.

"Not here!" Fayt replied. Something quickly shot out from the vortex. The monster was large (around the same size as Crosell) and red. It had a massive head with no eyes, but sharp teeth. It was connected by a long neck that appeared to be attached by more of these teeth. The body was but an exoskeleton with strange, yet powerful legs. Its wings were large and flat. They looked like slender fingers connected by purple webbing. The last feature was a long flexible tail that ended with a whip like design. The creature screeched loudly, showing its large mouth in the process.

"_No!" _Cyrus thought in terror. _"Not that!" _he wished they he were hallucinating. Unfortunately, it was quite clear. This was real.

"What is this abomination?" Crosell asked. "A creature from the deepest parts of hell's dwelling?"

"Hello everyone," a voice similar to Cyrus said.

"Are you throwing your voice?" Albel asked.

"If only that was for real," Cyrus replied as he pointed at the figure on the beast.

It was none other than Stratus on top of the creature's head. "Like my new ride?" he asked. "It's among the elite, if you get what I mean."

"What is that thing," Cliff asked.

"It's only a dragonmare. A terrifying creature created by human hands."

"Humans created that... abhorrence?" Crosell asked unbelievably. The dragonmare gave another loud scream once more.

"You're lucky I didn't finish you two off when I had the chance," Stratus said, referring to Cyrus and Nel. "However, Lystara thought this was a more amusing way to die. I would love to stay, but nah. So farewell," Stratus jumped up and disappeared. The dragonmare lower its altitude and shot up on the other side. As it flew higher, the living weapon began firing down green lights at the group.

"What are we supposed to do?" Cliff asked. "We're sitting ducks out here, literally."

Cyrus turned on "City in the Storm" from Panzer Dragoon Orta. "The armor that creature has is powerful and the claws are able to crush steel," he explained. "That living ship is indestructible, but not invincible. With Crosell, I believe we may have a chance."

"Cyrus..." Nel said.

"Crosell, I need you to carefully approach the dragonmare. We need to get in close, but not too close to the mucus shots. That stuff can melt through anything."

"Alright!" Crosell approached the dragon as it still shot projectiles from its mouth. The two dragons were now side by side. Both beasts were firing flames and mucus at one another.

"Now, in order for me to get on that creature, I'll need you to keep it in range for a few minutes."

"Are you serious?" Cliff asked.

"Fine," Fayt said, "I'll go too."

"It's crazy enough Cyrus is going," Roger said. "But you?"

"We'll be okay," Fayt said reassuringly. He turned back to Cyrus. "So what are we going to do?"

"See the green covering on its back? That's the control core. If we want to stop it, we need to get there."

"It's unbelievable," Crosell said. "But it sounds like you have no choice."

"Damn right we have no choice!" Cyrus said.

"Alright," Fayt said in agreement.

"As soon as we jump I want you to break away, but still in good range to catch us," Cyrus said to Crosell.

"I will not make any promises..."

"That's sounds good to me. Ready Fayt?"

"Let's go." The two quickly jumped on the living weapon. The landing was rough, but successful.

Unfortunately, a turret on the creature's back locked to the two swordsmen and started firing. Cyrus pulled out his light saber and blocked the shots. "You go on to the cockpit, Fayt. I'm a little busy."

"I'm on it." Fayt dashed to core, but they both lost there balance and grabbed the exoskeleton. The dragonmare dived toward Crosell and was in hot pursuit. The dragonmare began to launch large, burning projectiles from its mouth and expelled them at the lord. Crosell quickly countered the shots with some of his own. Fayt and Cyrus steadily rose back up. Fayt broke through the glass and was now in the seat. "I'm in!" he yelled. He began to try some of the buttons, but it seemed none of them were responding. The dragonmare was continuing its assault on Crosell and their teammates who were fending it back with symbology and laser shots. "Something's wrong!"

"What?"

"The controls don't seem to be functioning!"

The duo once again hung tightly to the dragonmare as it sliced through the sky with incredible speed, past Crosell and the rest of the team. From above, the creature dived down, producing a multicolor trail of mucus. Unable to dodge, Crosell made impact with the enemy's attack. The dragonmare did this many times, going in different directions. Crosell was able to dodge a few of streaks, but the dragon made impact with a few others. "Hurry!" Crosell replied. "I can't keep this up much longer!"

"Fine then there's only one thing left!" Cyrus stopped the turret by ricocheting its laser back at it. The weapon exploded and smoke was now coming out. He carefully made his way to Fayt. "Get out, dude," Cyrus said. The blue-haired swordsman climbed out of the cock pit and Cyrus stabbed the light saber into the controls. The dragon was now beginning to twist and bend erratically. The shizznit pulled his weapon back up and waved at Crosell that the mission was complete. Fayt jumped on the back of the dragon. Cyrus jumped, but missed the landing. It seemed that he was going to fall, when someone caught his hand. He looked up and saw it to be Maria. "We really should stop meeting like this," he said calmly before he chuckled. She, with the help of Cliff, pulled the young swordsman back on the dragon. Crosell boosted his speed, and right in the nick of time. As the dragon zipped from the screeching creature, the dragonmare exploded. There was nothing left but a large cloud of smoke and fire.

"I never thought I'd see anything that grotesque," Albel muttered.

"Guess you never look in the mirror," Cliff joked.

"Shut up, maggot," the Glyphian hissed.

"Nice goin', you two," said Adray.

"No thanks, necessary," Cyrus said. "Now let's get back to Aquios. I think we need to take a little rest."

"You're one to talk," the dragon said. "I'm going to have a man-made weapon on my back."

"Don't complain," Maria said. "You're the one that agreed to our favor." Crosell was silent.

In about two hours, they landed in the "White Dew" Garden. Where there was already a large staff waiting for their arrival. The group walked off of Crosell. "Get ready at once!" Nel ordered.

"Yes, Lady Nel." The runologist and soldier start to study the large dragon.

"This may be hard for you, but please bear with us," Fayt said to Crosell.

"There is no other choice," the reptile said laconically.

"That's right," Maria said. "Besides, the strong must be magnanimous toward the weak."

"This young lady speaks the truth."

Nel walks over to Queen Aquaria XXVII and King Airyglyph XIII. "I have returned, Your Majesty," Nel said.

"You have done well," the queen said.

"To think you were actually able to capture him…" the king said.

"No one captured me," Crosell retorted. "I just agreed to help you a bit. Do not misread the situation, foolish king."

"Hmph, it matters not. So, Romeria, who shall ride the Marquis?"

"A good question, indeed… I was hoping you would lend us the services of someone from the Dragon Brigade."

"That is unacceptable," the lord of air dragons snapped. "Only those who personally requested my help may ride me."

"Then we must let them decide who will ride."

"It seems we have no choice," the king said. "Anyway, the Dragon Brigade is short on men. They are already too taxed trying to form a unit bearing runological weapons."

"That settles it, then," the Queen replied. "Nel, I must ask you and the others to handle this."

"Yes, Your Majesty." The group began to split up, getting supplies and fresh air. Nel, however, wanted to talk to Cyrus she invited the young swordsman to the church. "Cyrus, what you and Fayt did against that creature was as you'd call 'cool.'"

"Thanks a lot," he said. Then he felt remorseful. "Though this wouldn't happen if I wasn't here. I've put you all endanger, not just you."

"No you didn't," Nel said. "You heard what Stratus said. She's planning on recreating our universe, right? I may not know about your world, but I have a feeling that it's not possible."

"You're right. But we don't know if that's correct or not. Somehow, she's distorting the fabric of time and space. She even created a deadly double of me. Anything is possible with that power."

Nel thought it was now time to change the subject. "So, this is what it comes down to. Our hope in chasing away the Vendeeni are in the hands of the Thunder Arrow and Crosell."

"Yep. Once we're gone, those Vendeeni will leave."

"All of our adventures will be over." Cyrus was trying to contain a chuckle. "What's so funny?"

"You think this is the last time we meet? Don't worry," Cyrus reassured. "We'll see each other again, believe it. Maybe sooner than you think."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. I ain't one to joke 'bout this kind o' thing. Besides, I'm Cyrus M. Splicer. When I say something's gonna go down, it will." Nel's face changed from confused to a slight smile. "See, don't give in so easy. That's the Nel Zelpher I know." Cyrus chuckled once more.

"Thank you, Cyrus."

"Hey, don't mention. It's the least I can do." The two got up and left for their rooms. Cyrus, knowing Mirage was there, plopped his tired body on the bed.

"I see that you're pretty tired," Mirage said.

"Believe me, when your last two days was spent defeating robotic generals, getting whipped by your alternate for a clone, and helping to destroy a dragonmare, you get real tired real quickly."

"A dragonmare?"Mirage asked. "Sounds exciting."

"You bet it was. Ms. Koas, you should've been there..." Cyrus told Mirage the entire story. From how his evil clone brought the deadly weapon to this dimension to how he and Fayt destroyed it.

The Klausian woman couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Are you making this up? I mean, a clone that happens to be created by some girl and a bio-engineered dragon of an Empire from another dimension is pretty hard to believe."

"Every single word is pure fact. You can ask Maria, herself. If she didn't grab me, I'd be a puddle on the ground somewhere instead of telling this stuff to you." Cyrus yawned. "Before I take a quick sleeper, what are you doin' anyway?"

"I'm working with Marietta, whose up in the Diplo. She and I are transmitting coordinates trace and data. Our ship will be in transport range in four and a half minutes. Though it will most likely be five. That's all the time we need."

"Sounds good. The last thing we need is to stay here any longer. You know, with the Vendeeni and all..."

"I understand. The people here have already had enough. It's time they need a little rest."

"Well, good night, or afternoon... er, whatever." With that said, Cyrus was out like a light.

"Just like Cliff," Mirage said to herself. An hour later, a soldier knocked on the door and Mirage woke Cyrus quickly.

"Erm... Huh...? Wha?"

"Time to go," Mirage said.

"Oh, right!" Cyrus hopped out of bed and was at the doorway. "Wish us luck."

"Already did." The teen quickly rushed to the garden ASAP.

By the time he arrived, Nel began to check with the runologists. Cyrus also met up with Maria, Mirage and Fayt. "Ready to go?" Maria asked. "We have no more time to loose."

"Damn straight!" Cyrus said. "Let's rock!"

"Right!"

"'We're here, ma'am,'" Marietta replied on the transmitter.

"All right," Maria responded. "Keep in mind that there may be a Vendeeni ship lurking nearby. Put us into low orbit."

"'That will increase atmospheric friction. Are you sure?'"

"Our enemy will have the same problem. Stay on your guard."

"'Roger.'"

"The ship's ready," a runologist said to them.

"Let's get this over with. The group rushed down to the garden. Maria stopped near the dragon as another communication was coming in. "'Captain, three Vendeeni ships are closing in.'"

"Prepare for battle. We'll provide backup down here."

"'Backup? With what?'"

"There's no time to explain. Just hang in there. We'll cover you from here."

"'Roger.'" Maria got in the Thunder Arrow, which was sitting on the back of Crosell. Nel and Roger got inside the cock pit.

"You ready, C-man?" Cyrus asked.

"As I'll ever be."

"Then let's go," Maria said. Cyrus and the rest of the team rushed into the ship, while Maria was making sure everything was set.

The dragon rushed to the edge of the garden. It outstretched its wings and the creature soared at high speeds. The group was followed by a few members of the dragon brigade. "Crosell, head towards that huge object over there."

"Yes, little one." As Crosell and the allied dragons turned, Nel began looking at through the periscope inside the vehicle.

"Okay, fire when you get within range," Maria told her through a pipe line.

"Got it." Nel fires the Thunder Arrow and streams of runological force jet out from the cannon barrels. Streams of fire also start bombarding the ship. Unfortunately, the vessel's shielding was only absorbing the attacks.

"Don't give up," Maria said. "Keep firing!"

"I know," Nel said. "I trying."

The cannons shot out another stream and the dragons continued there assault. However, nothing appears to be working. "Come on and blow up already!" Cliff groaned.

"Don't worry," Fayt reassured. "It must be working. Just keep it up."

"Yeah," Cyrus replied. "Shoot 'em up, shoot 'em up, pow pow!"

Suddenly, an explosion was heard. "What was that?" Fayt asked. "That was the…"

"No, it wasn't the Diplo," Maria interjected. "I think they pulled it off."

"Yes! We got a chance now!"

"What's this?" Nel asks herself as she sees the ships moving forward. "They're..."

"They're retreating," Crosell said.

"They're retreating alright..." Cyrus said. He looks ahead carefully and see, what appears to be, the Diplo. "Retreating to the big, white chrome for some target practice!"

The ships chase after the Diplo at high speeds, but the ship was not able to get out of range. The Vendeeni fired at the vessel. One of the shots did some serious damage. Though not enough to destroy it, the round did slow the Diplo down. "'Captain, we're history if like we don't do something fast!'" Marietta called.

"Make a run for it! We're coming to help!" Maria yelped.

"For some reason, that dragonmare would've been some good help about now," Cyrus said to himself. The Vendeeni ships were approaching quickly.

"And this is bad," Cliff said.

"Crosell, hurry!" Fayt rushed.

"I am hurrying," Crosell replied.

The enemy vessels were approaching the flagship. "Diplo!" Maria called out. It seemed that all hope was lost. That was, until a large beam of light shot out a powerful energy at the two ships. As soon as it passed, both frigates exploded.

Fayt was at a loss of words. "What was that?" Cliff asked.

"I hate to say it, but that was pretty cool," Cyrus said under his breath, knowing that it was an Executioner attack nonetheless.

A transmission came in on Maria's transmitter. "'Captain.'" Marietta called.

"Marietta! Are you okay?" Maria asked.

"'Yes, thankfully… Did you see that?'"

"What was it? Do we have a computer analysis?"

"Hold on a second… Here it is. What?" Marietta was shocked.

"What's wrong?"

"'I don't believe it! The computer says that narrow beam of light was packing an energy magnitude of 3.2!"

"Did she say magnitude 3.2?" Cliff asked.

"Err... Am I missing somethin'?" Cyrus said with a confused look.

"Don't you know?" Fayt asked. "There isn't a possibility of any kind of weapon that can exceed a magnitude of 2. That's the limit called creation energy. Not even the latest ships in the Federation can go beyond that."

"Oh... Sorry. Must've slept on that."

"So what the hell was that?" Cliff asked.

"Marietta, can you determine the light beam's origin?" Maria asked.

"'No. All I can tell is it's somewhere extremely far away. Even the Diplo's sensors couldn't detect the source. Oh! Hold on a second. Captain, our sensors have picked up multiple instances of the same type of energy reaction! They're all heading in the same direction! One of them is exceeding magnitude 4!'"

"Magnitude 4? Where are they headed?"

"'Earth!'"

"An Aldian or Vendeeni weapon, maybe?" Fayt asked.

"Not a chance," Cliff said. "Do you think a Vendeeni weapon could do what we just saw? Or an Aldian weapon for that matter?"

"…True. It's highly unlikely that either has an energy source exceeding the magnitude of creation energy."

"Besides, do you really think the Vendeeni would blow up their own men with that kind of shit?" Cyrus asked. "I doubt it."

"But if it's some new weapon, we're in big trouble," Maria explained. "I'm not even sure the Earth's planetary defense shield could block it."

"Let's get back to the castle," Fayt said. "We're wasting time here."

"You're right," Maria said. "Marietta… Give me a damage report on the Diplo."

"'The gravitic warp engine's been damaged. …Repairs should take about six hours.'"

"Do it in four. I have a bad feeling about this…"

"'Roger. We'll try our best.'"

"I'm counting on you."

"'Roger.'"

"Well Crosell?" Cyrus said.

"Yes, I heard. Once this adherence is removed from my back, it will be time for a long rest." Cyrus laughed. The dragon flew back to Castle Aquios. As soon as the group returned, the group walked up to the balcony where the king and queen stood.

"Your majesty, I believe it's time to say good bye," Cyrus said. "With the Vendeeni gone, I'm hoping everything will go back to normal."

"As do we," Queen Romeria said.

"We are very sorry for causing all this trouble," Fayt said as he bowed to both royal persons.

"On the contrary. We have learned that there are entire civilizations out there beyond our world. And we have learned this is not the time for foolish struggles between our countries."

"Precisely," King Arzei agreed. "In order to avoid bringing the final prophecy of Apris to fruition in its worst form, we must not wage war."

"Indeed."

Fayt then noticed that someone was missing. "Where's Albel?" he asked.

"He went back home," Woltar replied. "Said something like, 'The danger's past, so there's no need for me to stay here.'"

"He didn't even say good-bye…" Maria said. "He'll never change."

"Ah, don't say that."

"Perhaps a part of that G learned something," Cyrus said. "Maybe the size of a centimeter..." he added in a lower tone.

"I wanted to at least say good-bye," Fayt said.

"We will tell him for you," the king said.

"Thank you very much."

"No, it is we who should thank you."

A transmission was heard and Maria started to answer. "It's me," she said.

"'The repairs are complete, ma'am,'" Marietta replied.

"Already? That was fast."

"'We did our best.'"

"Thanks. I owe you one. Be ready to receive five via transportation in one minute."

"'Roger.'"

The group of five stepped back toward the balcony. Fayt and Maria bowed while Cyrus waved. "Farewell," Nel said.

"We couldn't have found better allies than yourself," Adray said.

"Take care!" Roger said. The five beamed up to the Diplo. Never to be seen on the planet again... or so everyone thought.


	17. Chapter 16

Part 16.1: Deals and Chicken

Cliff, Cyrus, Fayt, Maria and Mirage arrived at the transporter room of the flagship Diplo. When they arrived, they were greeted by one of the crewmen. "Welcome back, Captain," he greeted.

"Good work, everyone," Maria congratulated.

"I'm so happy you made it back safely. I've been worried sick… I haven't been able to sleep a wink!" Mirage and the men in the group shrugged from the man's emotional tone.

Cyrus only rolled his eyes. _"Man, Liebizzle,"_ Cyrus thought. _"Lay off the dramatics."_

"No time for chitchat," Maria quickly said. "Any progress analyzing that energy?"

"Uhh…yeah," Lieber replied. "It appears that blast of energy came from neither Federation, Aldian, nor Vendeeni forces."

"How do you know that?"

"We don't have much information right now, but according to intercepted communications, all three groups are currently under attack by another entity."

"From where?" Cliff asked.

"Don't know yet. There are limits to the communications we can intercept at this distance. Marietta is continuing to analyze the data."

"I don't know if they're friend or foe, but they sure did a number on those Vendeeni," Maria replied. "Let's take advantage of the situation. And keep gathering that data for analysis."

"Leave it to me!" Lieber replied.

"I'm going to the bridge."

"Please lead the way," Cyrus replied. The group left the room.

As they walked to the deck, Fayt looked at the corner of his eye and saw Lieber staring at him and Cyrus intently. "Hey, Cliff," Fayt whispered, making sure that the man hear him.

"What's wrong?"

"Who's the guy behind us?"

"Him? Oh that's Lieber, one of our best shooters. He and his older brother Steeg nicknamed themselves 'the Binary Star of Lazeria' because of their skills."

"The Binary Star, huh?" Cyrus said.

"Yep. Unfortunately, neither us, or even the Federation, call them that. To everyone, they're just good ol' Lieber and Steeg."

"I see," Fayt said. "So how come he's staring at us?"

"Well, you see..."

"It doesn't take a genius to figure it out," Cyrus said. "And I should know. The young Liebizzle has a crush on Maria."

"How did you know?" Cliff whispered in shock.

"Let's see... How about 'I've been worried sick… I haven't been able to sleep a wink!'" he said in a tone that matched Lieber's earlier.

"Well, I think it's a good idea to stay out of Maria's space when Lieber's around," Cliff advised. "Right now, I think he sees you two as competition."

"What?" Fayt said. "But I... he... what?"

"And to think, you said he was 'good ol' Lieber;'" Cyrus sneered.

"Well, you two just be careful," Cliff said. The group entered the room and the crew went to their stations.

Fayt and Cyrus stood at beside Maria as she took her seat. "I'm back people," she said. "We're behind schedule on our objective to secure Dr. Leingod. Let's proceed as planned to point S317. All hands standby!"

"Right!" Marietta said instantly.

"W-wait a sec… 'Secure Dr. Leingod'?" Fayt repeated in confusion. "So you know where my father is?"

"That's right," Maria replied. "He's being held in a cave on a planet located at point S317. It's been cleverly disguised, but it's a secret Vendeeni base, no doubt."

"A secret base? How do you know about it then?"

"Don't underestimate Quark's information network. We'll be entering gravitic warp at once. How about you to go sit over there."

"Oh, okay."

"All right," Cyrus said excitedly as he was taking his seat. "There's nothin' that says happy hour than breaking into secret alien bases."

"Set a course to point S317 via gravitic warp," Maria said to Mirage. "Break out of orbit with one-quarter thrust."

"Okay," Mirage said. She went to her station and began pressing different keys. "Breaking out of orbit with one-quarter thrust." The Diplo was soared out of Elicoor's skies and in space. "Out of orbit." The two swordsmen walked back to where they stood.

"Engage gravitic warp."

"Engaging gravitic warp."

A loud beep was heard. "Our long-range sensors have picked up a ship—fast approaching," Marietta replied.

"Ship registration?" Maria asked.

"It's the Aquaelie, a federation battleship."

"A battleship? What is a Federation battleship doing out here?"

"Could they be after us?" Fayt asked.

"That is a possibility," Cyrus said.

"Incoming transmission," Marietta said.

"Full stop," Maria ordered. "Display the transmission on screen."

"Roger," both Marietta and Mirage replied as they began typing the commands.

On screen, an older man appeared with a formal uniform. "'This is Commodore Wittcomb of the Federation ship Aquaelie. It's an honor to meet you all.'"

"Likewise," Maria said. "I would never have expected to meet Commodore Wittcomb, star officer of the Federation fleet, in these parts."

The Commodore chuckled. "'I'm flattered you'd remembered my name. But first thing's first. That's Dr. Leingod's son and the Splicer child standing behind you, correct?'"

"Yes it is."

"'Well, what I am about to say will no doubt come as a surprise. There's no time for details now, so I'll be brief.'"

"Go on."

"'A Vendeeni ship is approaching you. Our analysts believe they will not attack, so we expect the same of you. None of us want there to be any hostilities.'"

"I bet there won't be..." Cyrus said rhetorically under his breath.

"What are you talking about?" Fayt asked. "How could you possibly know that the Vendeeni will not attack?"

"'Because-'" before the commodore could complete his statement, Marietta inadvertently cut him off.

"Captain, our sensors have picked up the Vendeeni ship," she said. "They're sending out a transmission."

Commodore Wittcomb nods to Maria. "Switch signals," she said.

When they turned the channels, a Vendeeni in high ranked clothing stood on screen. "Damn, they're even uglier close up on the big screen!" Cyrus whispered to Fayt who nodded in agreement.

"'This is Captain Biwig of the Vendeen Empire ship Dasvanu. Surrender immediately and submit to our orders.'"

"Nice to meet you, too," Maria said sarcastically.

"'Dr. Leingod, enemy of the galaxy, and the girl, are in our hands. You are in no position to refuse our demands.'"

The two looked closely at the screen and saw Dr. Leingod and Sophia chained up in the corner. "What do you want with my father?" Fayt snapped.

"'We have but a single demand. You must exchange Leingod's son for Dr. Leingod and the Splicer boy for the girl.'"

"Exchange me for my father?"

"You may get this a lot, bag head, 'you are one crazy and ugly mother fucker,'" Cyrus insulted.

"And the method of exchange?" Maria asked before things escalated. "I suppose we don't trust one another enough to transport them between our ships."

"'Obviously not,'" Biwig replied. "'We will reach your location in a few minutes. Further orders will be issued at that point. You will standby until then.'" Biwig closed the communication between the Dasvanu and the Diplo.

"Marietta, encrypt our signal to the Aquaelie."

"Done."

The commodore reappeared on the screen. "'I heard everything,'" he said.

"So that's the situation," Maria said.

"'Dr. Leingod's safety is paramount. As long as they hold him, we're unable to attack.'"

"I suppose you're right. Commodore, just how much do the Federation and Vendeeni really know?"

"'About what?'"

"Don't play dumb with me," Maria said sternly. "You wouldn't be trying to get Dr. Leingod, let alone Fayt or even Cyrus, unless you had some sort of information on them."

"'I suspect our intentions are not that different from your own. As for the Vendeeni, I'm not sure what they want, but I do have my suspicions.'"

"I see."

"So… What'cha gonna do?" Cliff asked. "You gonna give him up without a fight?"

"You gotta be kidding!" Fayt shouted. "I still have things I want to ask my father!"

"I remember what you said about 'em earlier," Cyrus commented. "I ain't gonna be tested by no fishes!"

"Don't worry, you two," Maria assured. "I won't let them have you or your father, Fayt. I won't stand for that."

"Maria," Fayt said.

"'As long as you can secure Dr. Leingod, the Aquaelie will be able to deal with the Vendeeni ship.'" the commodore said.

"The timing of the hostage exchange will be key," Maria said. "No doubt, they will specify a neutral location for the exchange. I'm not sure what we'll do then. We'll have to think of something."

"'Think of something'?" Cliff replied. "We'll be flying by the seat of our pants!"

"Not much else we can do. We've no time, and the cards are stacked against us."

"Just the sort of situation you like, isn't it Cliff?" Mirage asked.

"S'pose so, but..."

"'Give it your best shot,'" the commodore said. "I place it in your hands.'"

"Well, we aren't doin' this for you, ya know," Cliff replied.

"'Nevertheless… Dr. Leingod and the boy must not fall into Vendeeni hands.'"

"Right," Maria replied.

"'I imagine it will not be much longer until we arrive. Sit tight until then.'"

"All right."

"'Best of luck to you.'" With that said, Commodore Wittcomb closed the communications to the ship.

"We have to help my father, no matter what it takes," Fayt told Maria.

"I know…" Maria said. "Remember, I have some unfinished business with him. We won't fail to free your father."

Cliff chuckled. "I can hardly wait," he said.

"Glad you're on my side."

"You know it."

Cyrus and Fayt nodded and sat back in their seats. "I hope Sophia's holding up well," Fayt said. "This has to be hard on her."

"Don't worry, home boy," Cyrus replied as he looked back. "We'll bust Sophia out and your old man from those dogfish."

"You're right."

"Captain, we're receiving a transmission from the Dasvanu," Marietta said.

"On screen," Maria said.

Biwig was back on the line (in all of his ugliness). "'The exchange will take place on the planet you are orbiting. Prepare to transport down. …And no heroics.'"

"The Dasvanu sent the coordinates, 147.5834, 34.8874," Marietta read.

"Location," Maria said.

"Right away." The screen changed and showed Elicoor II. It pin-pointed its location to the destination.

"Hey, isn't that-" Fayt asked.

"Oh, yeah," Cliff said, cutting him off.

"You've been there?" Maria asked.

"Yup, sure have."

"It's been a long time, homies" Cyrus replied. The screen showed none other than the Kirlsa Training Facility.

"'Transport at the specified time,'" Biwig replied. "'And I repeat, no heroics.'"

"Understood," Maria said. "We'll hold you to that as well. We'll exchange Fayt and Cyrus for Dr. Leingod and the Esteed's daughter. That's the deal."

"'Yes, that is the deal.'" The communication ended.

"We can only transport six at a time," Cliff replied. "Their capacity shouldn't be any different."

"Remember, they've got my father," Fayt said, worryingly to Cliff. "Whatever you do, be careful."

"You're such a worrywart. Put a little more trust in me."

"I trust you, I really do. It's just…" Cyrus was going to remind everyone about the incident on the Eagle, but he dropped it. He knew now wasn't the time.

"Don't worry," Maria said. "It'll be okay… Believe me. We'll get everyone back safely."

"Maria..."

"Damn straight," Cyrus replied. "With all of us, this mission is highly possible."

"Okay," Fayt replied.

"Mirage, prepare to transport us down," Maria ordered.

"Roger, Captain," Mirage said as she got up.

"I'll go with you," Cliff said. "Hey Steeg, you're coming, too."

"Yes, sir." The three Klausians left the room to the transporter room.

"Lancar, you read me?" she asked on her communicator.

"'Sup, Maria?'" he said smoothly.

"Ready three combat personnel, equipment level A. You pick the team. They'll transport down with us."

"'Level A? This must be serious.'"

"It is. Our suits are no match for the disrupter rifles the Vendeeni use, but they're better than nothing."

"'Got it. I'll have them ready ASAP.'"

"I'm counting on you." Maria takes a seat and ponders about the situation. She then noticed her two comrades were looking at here. Fayt was giving a confused stare. "...What is it?"

"Nothing," Fayt replied. "I was just thinking you really are Quark's leader."

"Not too sharp, are you? I've been telling you that from the start."

"I know, it's just that…"

"It's too cool to believe," Cyrus replied. "I mean, this must be a great undertaking, yo."

"Yeah, whatever," she shrugged. "There's still some time before we transport down, so you're free until then. There's nothing I need you for right now. I'll make an announcement when it's time to go."

"Alright." The two warriors left the room. "Man I'm hungry."

"Didn't you just eat?" Fayt asked.

"Yeah. But what I'm hungry for is something I haven't had for a week or two: Chicken."

"Just chicken?"

"Hey, where I'm from, chicken's like soul food," Cyrus snapped. "When you're me and haven't had your weekly fowl, you get kinda edgy. Now let's find the food stand and quick."

Fayt only blinked at the young shizznit and sighed. It took them a few minutes, but they found the cafeteria on the second floor. "May I help you?" asked the woman behind the desk.

"Got any chicken?" Cyrus asked quickly.

"What do you want?"

"I'll have four drumsticks, three wings and two breasts."

"Okay and that will be five hundred fol."

"Got it." Cyrus pulled out the money and placed it on the table. In a few minutes, the order came in and the two sat at a table. "Ah, nothing says paradise than a farm raised bird descended from the jungle fowl," he said as he bit a portion of a drumstick. Fayt didn't say anything as he was too busy thinking of something else. "Hey, Fayt." Still no response. He snapped his fingers and the blue-haired swordsman was back, though he was surprised. "What's on your mind, homes?"

"Aren't you a little concerned about Sophia and my father?"

Cyrus was quiet. "You're real worried about them, aren't you?"

"Of course. Sophia's been my best friend for as long as I could remember. And even though my dad intentionally made me into a living weapon, he had his reasons and I still love him."

"Fayt, don't worry. Like I said earlier, we're gonna get them back. It's gonna take some time, but be prepared." He gave Fayt another drumstick. "Let's eat. For success on this mission, homes. After all, if we could defeat a dragonmare single handedly, those Vendeeni have nothing on us."

"Alright. But you know we'll both be in serious danger," he said in a worried tone.

"Ha! Do you know who you're talkin' too?" Cyrus asked in a cocky tone.

"Who? Please tell me?" Fayt asked wryly.

"I'm Cyrus Splicer, dude! Danger's my nickname, dog!"

"Yeah, sure," Fayt said jokingly. "I thought it was 'M.'"

"The 'M' is for Makai... Oh, just eat the leg." The two started to chow down on the meal. In about half an hour, the two were finished with their meal. "That was finger licking good," Cyrus said.

"Yeah," Fayt said comfortably. "I can't believe that I'm so full so quickly."

"I think we should go now."

"Maybe I can digest while we walk." The swordsmen threw their trash away and left the room.

When they were in the hall, the two happen to bump into Lieber. The Klausian wasn't too happy. "It's you two fools!" he shouted.

Fayt was confused. "What did we do?"

"You two are the ones Maria's... Forget it."

"What's your problem?" Cyrus snapped.

"What do you think? Just because you two are with Ms. Traydor don't mean anything." Cyrus and Fayt looked at each other. "If you ask me, you're still on the bottom of the pecking order. I, Lieber the Sharp Shooter will see to it that Maria doesn't make the mistake of her life."

The warriors were quiet. Cyrus rolled his eyes. "We'd love to stay, but you're wasting some precious time."

"No! You two better listen. Don't get cocky because I'm not going with you. They need to leave a number of personnel to protect the ship. You better not try anything to harm her."

"And we're glad you're doing that," Fayt said.

"Don't worry Chief Wiggum," Cyrus sneered. "We be good.."

"You little thug," Lieber said sternly.

"Oh, thank you," Cyrus replied sarcastically.

"Let's go, Cyrus," Fayt said. "We need to do something." Cyrus looked at Fayt and nodded. They left the hall, also leaving a furious Lieber behind. His shouts and screams were still heard.

By the time they were back upstairs, an announcement was heard on the loud speakers. "It's time, everyone," Maria's voice said. "Meet in front of the transporter room."

"That's our cue," Cyrus said. "Time to drop it like it's hot."

"I still don't understand half the words you say," Fayt replied with a hand on his forehead.

"You're young, you'll be taught." All the blue-haired swordsman did was raise his hands and shook his head.

They raced to the other side of the room, where Maria, Cliff, Mirage and other member of Quark awaited. "Ah, there you are," Cliff said. "Are you ready to go?"

"I'm ready," Fayt replied.

"Let's show 'em how to partay," Cyrus smirked as he cracked his knuckles.

"That's the spirit," Cliff said heartily.

"I see everyone's here," Maria replied. "All right, let's go."

The three guards moved to the transporter room. "You've got the bridge, Mirage," Cliff said.

"Roger."

"Yahaa, let's do it!" he said excitedly as he pounds his palm in his hand.

"Good luck. See you soon." Before Cliff entered the room, he patted his hand on Mirage's shoulder.

"If something happens, you have command of the Diplo," Maria said.

"Understand."

"Well, let's just hope nothing happens," responded Lancar.

"My thoughts exactly…" Maria replied. "We'll be back shortly."

"Take care," Mirage said.

"Stay sharp and keep an eye on the captain," Lancar told the guards.

Fayt, Cyrus and Maria went inside. "Since the transporter can only carry six, one of us will have to go first," Maria said.

"I'm up," Cyrus said. "It would be stupid and time consuming figuring this out." Cyrus stepped into the machine with his arms folded. "Beam me down, Scotty," he said pointing downward. Steeg looked at Cyrus in confusion. "It's an old saying... Very old..."

Steeg only sighed. "Transporting in one minute to the specified coordinates," he said as he began pressing different commands. In seconds, Cyrus was transported to the Kirlsa Training Facility.

* * *

Part 16.2: Intergalactic Interlude

Cyrus appeared in the Aerial Arena on top of the building. "Oh... tingly," he said to himself. He looked around and saw a figure on the top of the barrier. He quickly drew out his light saber, but took a closer look. It wasn't a Vendeeni soldier, but he didn't really know who it was either. He retracted the beam of light and sat on the ground; legs folded, eyes closed. The character watched him with green eyes.

In under a minute, Fayt and the rest of the group appeared. Biwig and his Vendeeni soldiers also transported at the scene with Sophia and Dr. Leingod as their captives. Unfortunately, something else also arrived. A large machine emitting some sort of waves had also materialized. The group was shocked. "What is that?" Maria questioned in surprise.

"A transport jammer!" Fayt yelped.

"Hand over the boys, now!" Biwig demanded.

"What do you mean?" Maria asked. "I though we had a deal."

The commander scoffed huffed. "Did you? Your equipment suggests otherwise. You Federation scum are always up to dirty tricks."

"It'd be plain stupid to come unprepared. Besides, we're not from the Federation."

"What's the difference? Hey, you two… Get over here."

Fayt groaned while Cyrus pulled out his saber and turned it on. "Does the expression 'kiss my black ass' mean anything to you, fish brain?"

"You'll regret that..."

"No!" Sophia yelled. "Run!" As the three bodyguards readied their guns, the Vendeeni had already drawn and fired at them. The lasers shots had hit their targets and the fellow crewmen were instantly killed on the spot by the disruptor rifles.

"No!" Maria shouted. "How dare you!"

"Take the boys alive," Biwig ordered his two soldiers. "Kill the rest!" The enemies charged at Fayt and Cyrus.

"Are you ready?" Cyrus asked.

"Let's take 'em," Fayt said sternly.

Cyrus played "Chaotic Dance" from the Baten Kaitos soundtrack and the fight began. They charged into battle. Cyrus started things up by using his Raptor's Revenge on the soldier. The soldier staggered back. Cyrus tried for a jump kick, but the opponent bent backward. Then he sweep kicked him quickly. The soldier fell flat on his back. Cyrus was about to punch his face right there. The Vendeeni saw the attack coming and quickly rolled out of the way. Cyrus backed up from the foe and used Power Up. The soldier saw this as an opportunity and started to charge his rifle. By the time Cyrus was finished, a large ball of laser energy came coming toward him. He sidestepped quickly from the line of fire. The soldier than fired a series of shots. Cyrus was hit by one, but managed to fend the rest with his saber. He jumped up in the air and spun at the opponent like a disk. The foe fell backward, but shot at Cyrus. The swordsman moved his face, barely missing the laser. Cyrus knew enough was enough. The Vendeeni stood back up and fired, but the attacks were fended off by the red beam as Cyrus rushed over to him. He sliced the gun in half and used the 187. He double kicked the Vendeeni's head while off the ground, then flipped and slammed the soldier's face to the arena floor. The enemy was out cold. At around the same time, Fayt had also finished his battle. "If they had any backbone, it would have been a little more of a challenge," Cyrus scoffed.

Both he and Fayt hurried to Sophia and Dr. Leingod, freeing them from their ropes. "Thank you, Cyrus," Robert said.

"Just doin' my job, doc," Cyrus simply replied.

"Seems you underestimated us," Cliff said to Biwig.

"It would appear so."

"Fayt… Fayt!" Sophia embraced the blue-haired swordsman.

"...Fayt," his father said.

"You go, player!" Cyrus exclaimed.

Maria turned her attention to Biwig who was standing near the jammer. "The tables have turned, Biwig."

Biwig only chuckled softly. "What's so funny, bag-head?" Cliff asked. "You're the only one left."

Suddenly, something was beginning to materialize. "Something's being transported down?" Fayt shouted.

The three units were Incapacitator Vasess and they were awaiting orders. "How's that possible?" Maria asked in disbelief. "There's a transport jammer here!"

The Vendeeni commander was laughing loudly. "Man, sharkboy be buggin'," Cyrus replied.

"Fools!" he yelled. "Our technology only blocks who we want it to block. We can bring down as many reinforcements as we need!"

Cliff growled, but he had to face the facts. There was nothing anyone could do at the moment. "Run for it!" he shouted.

As they group ran, Cyrus was the only one behind. "I can take these chumps on," he replied. As soon as the robots charged at him, Cyrus quickly changed his attitude and strategy. "Ah, screw it!" He quickly retreated to catch up with the rest of his companions. The enemy automatons weren't too far behind.

"Hurry up!" Maria shouted as they were in the elevator.

The door was closing fast and Cyrus took a leap of faith. He made it into the elevator just as the door was closing. He didn't come without a souvenir, the arm of one of the Incapacitator Vasses that broke off when the door closed. Cyrus felt that his cap was missing. He looked on the floor and saw it laying by his feet. He picked it up, brushed the dust off and put it back on his head. "So what have we just learned?" Cliff sneered.

"I have a complex persona, 'ight?" Cyrus snapped. "I could've taken them. I just felt the odds were a handicap."

"Riiight..."

The group rushed to the third floor of the building. Unfortunately, Sophia began to loose her footing. "Sophia?" Fayt said in a worried tone.

"Don't worry," she assured. "I just tripped."

"Let me see your leg." Fayt checks her leg and found it to be swollen. "Why didn't you tell me you were hurt?"

"Must've been hit in that fight back there," Cliff said.

The group heard the sounds of footsteps approaching from the door behind them. "Great, more issues," Cyrus said.

"…You guys hide here," Cliff said. "I'll try to draw them away."

"What, alone?" Fayt asked.

"I'll be fine. I can handle these guys. Her injury is gonna slow you down."

Cliff runs out the door and the soldiers chase after him. "I've spotted one over here!" one of them said.

"He's got bravery, the home boy does," Cyrus replied. The group go inside the kitchen and rests Sophia on a bench.

"Show me where you're hurt," Maria said to Sophia.

"Huh? Oh, right here."

Maria checked her leg and found what the problem was. "It doesn't look bad," she said. "We'll fix you up in no time once we get back to the Diplo… I know it hurts, but hang in there a bit longer."

"Okay, thanks."

"The transport jammer should have about a 2-km radius of effect, right?" the captain asked the doctor.

"That's the Federation spec, but the Vendeeni technology is more advanced. No doubt it has an even greater area of effect."

"It will be hard getting clear of it."

"If we turn tail, you could bet ol' fish-face and his goons won't be far behind," Cyrus said.

"We have to make a stand," Fayt said in a serious tone.

Robert was amazed of Fayt. He never saw him like this before. "You've grown, Fayt."

"Let's talk it over with Cliff when he gets back."

"Okay," Maria said.

"In the meantime, Dad, there's something I have to ask you."

"So you've finally found out," Robert said, feeling a little guilty. "But you must understand. I never once thought of you as a tool for my research. You were born because your mother and I always wanted a child."

"Well then, tell us why!" Maria shouted. "How could you treat your own child like a guinea pig?"

"Calm down, Maria," Cyrus said.

"How can I!" she snapped. "We need to know!"

"By the way, who is she?" Dr. Leingod asked.

"This is Maria. Maria Traydor," Fayt introduced. "She's the leader of Quark, the anti-Federation group."

"Maria Traydor… Traydor?" The good doctor was trying to remember who she was.

"You performed genetic engineering on her, just like you did to me."

"Uncle Robert-genetic engineering...?" Sophia couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"What?" Robert finally understood who Maria was. "So that means you're—I see. That's why your last name is Traydor."

"Explain yourself, Dr. Leingod…" she demanded. "I think we have the right to know."

"Dad, tell us why…" Fayt said. "Why did you do it, Dad? Why did you manipulate our genes?"

"I did it…for the sake of our universe," he answered.

"Our universe?" Maria questioned. "That's quite a grand scale. How could modifying our genes have anything to do with the universe?"

"But it's the truth. I performed symbological genetic engineering on you because of a force that would one day threaten all we know."

"Threaten all we know?" Fayt repeated.

"That sounds bad," Cyrus said.

"It is," Robert replied. "I don't expect you to believe me right here and now. It's a long story. I'll explain everything once we get out of here. Just be patient."

"Is that all?" Maria yelled in a frustrated tone. "You think we'll accept that poor excuse for an explanation?"

"Maria..." Fayt gasped.

"That's not what I wanted to hear!"

"I'm sorry," Robert said.

Cliff entered the room. "Sorry to keep ya waiting," he said. The Klausian turned around and saw Maria in her current state "…What happened?" he asked.

"It's nothing, really," Fayt said.

"Just having a chat," Cyrus said.

"O-kay… I've cleared out all the enemies in the immediate area, but we can't waste any time," Cliff explained. "I'm sure they'll keep calling in reinforcements. And there are still Vendeeni soldiers here and there. Seems to be no end to them. They're like roaches!"

"I think we should destroy the jammer," Fayt said. "Otherwise, we don't stand a chance. We'll be picked off one by one." He turns to Maria and asks, "What do you think? I'd like to hear your opinion."

The blue-haired teen thinks over the situation. "…Seems we have no other choice," she said. Maria turns on her transmitter. "Maria to Diplo."

"'I'm here,'" Marietta said.

"That Biwig's using a new type of transport jammer. We're going to destroy it. Be ready to transport us up as soon as we do."

"'Cannot comply!'"

"What's wrong?"

"'We're under attack by the Dasvanu! Our hands are full just staying alive! Incoming transports at this time would be—'" the operator screamed as a shot of the Dasvanu made a hard impact.

"What happened to the Aquaelie?" Maria asked. "It should have been here by now…"

"'They're being blocked by another Vendeeni ship. They need a little more time.'"

"Where's Mirage?"

"'She's on damage control. Lieber and Lancar are with her!'"

"All right. Find some way to hold out until the Aquaelie arrives!"

"'We'll do our best!'"

Maria turned her transmitter off. "Damn it!" Cliff snapped.

"This is one of those times where life sucks," Cyrus said.

"I should have known the Vendeeni would have prepared for this," Maria thought to herself.

"Hey!" Fayt pondered. "If the Vendeeni are engaged, maybe they're also too busy to use their transporters."

"Yeah. There's a good chance of that," Cliff said.

"If so, then they've got all the soldiers they're going to get," Maria replied. "Let's take out their jammer then. In the meantime, let's just hope the Aquaelie shows up to lend a hand."

"Relying on the Federation sticks in my craw, but I guess we have no other choice."

"Finally," Cyrus said. "Let's show Biwig that payback's a bitch."

"For once, Cyrus, you're finally making sense," Cliff complimented.

Cyrus grinned, but then realized what Cliff said. "Hey!" he shouted.

"Let's go," Fayt said. The group left the kitchen. They faced a few of the Vendeeni soldiers and their robots on the way, but they still managed to get to the fourth floor unharmed.

They looked out the sides hallway and found Biwig and a group of Vendeeni soldiers still standing at the arena. "It's now or never," Cliff said.

"Let's do it!" Fayt shouted. The four rushed out and were ready for combat.

"You've fought well, I'll give you that. However, it all ends here. Hand over the boy now. I will say it once more. Resistance is futile. I can keep calling in reinforcements, no matter how many of my soldiers you defeat. There is no escape!" Biwig laughed loudly at the group.

Fayt growled. As Cyrus drew his sword, they saw a tall figure standing on the pillar behind the Vendeeni. "That's because of this thing!" she said. The woman leapt off the platform and destroyed the transport jammer. Everyone was surprised to see the her. "I think that did the trick. What the heck was it, anyway?"

"Nel!" Fayt said in shock.

"Get out of here, quick!" Cyrus yelped.

"Damn you!" a furious Biwig shouted.

He and his men began firing their disruptor rifles at the spy. She dodged most of the attacks, but in the end, she was hit in the arm by one of the beams. She spun and screamed from the hit and fell to the ground. Cyrus wasn't just dumbfounded, but he also felt something hit him as well. "Nooooo!" he yelled.

"Biwig!" Fayt shouted.

"Destruction of our transport jammer means nothing! Our battleship can crush your flagship at any time!"

All of a sudden, a group of units were being transported down to the arena. It was a team from the Diplo with Lieber up in front. "Captain, are you okay?" Lieber asked.

"What is going on?" Biwig shouted. It was clear he wasn't pleased. "Where are the reinforcements?"

"Sir, the Aquaelie arrived and has joined forces with the Diplo," one of the soldiers reported.

"What? The Aquaelie? Damn! Pull us out now! Dasvanu, transport us up!" The Vendeeni were transported back to the ship.

Cyrus, Fayt and Cliff, along with Sophia and Robert, hurried to the injured warrior. "How horrible!" Sophia said.

"What are you doing here?" Fayt shouted.

"…I had…a lot on my mind…" Nel said weakly. "And so…I came here. Then…I saw you all and… I'm glad …I could help…before…the end. …I never…thanked you…properly."

"Hey, I don't wanna hear any of this 'the end' crap from you!" Cliff said.

"Nel, you ain't goin' nowhere!" Cyrus said. "You're a fighter!"

"Cyrus... you were right..." Nel said. "This was sooner... than either of us expected... It has... been fun... while it lasted, huh?"

"Hang in there." Nel lost consciousness.

"Let's get back to the Diplo," Fayt suggested. "They should be able to do something."

"You're right," Maria said as she walked up to the group. She turned her transmitter on and connected to the Diplo. "Diplo, report."

"'The Aquaelie has just destroyed the Dasvanu with its creation cannons!'" Marietta replied.

"'We'll be able to transport you in one minute's time,'" Mirage said. There was a brief silence and a beep was heard. "'Just a second. What is it, Marietta?'"

"'We detected transporter activity right before the Dasvanu was destroyed. We can't tell what they sent, so be careful down there.'"

"'Did you get that? Be very careful.'"

"...Okay, thanks," Maria said.

They heard something being warped down. They turned and saw two Vendeeni soldiers and Biwig "If I cannot use you, I shall eliminate you!"

The commander opened fire on Fayt. "No!" Robert shouted as he pushed his son out of the way. The beam hit Dr. Leingod straight in his hard. The doctor tried to move, but to no avail.

"Dad!" Fayt gasped.

"Doctor!" Maria shouted.

"Nooooooooo!" Sophia yelled.

The three raced to the dying man. "Fayt… Maria… Sophia…" he said weakly. "The data…you want…is…at Moonbase. You must…g…g…go there…"

"Dad, save your strength…" Fayt said. His father gagged and fell unconscious.

"Haha, it serves you right for interfering!" Biwig guffawed. "This never would have happened if you had done what I asked."

"Slime!" Maria hissed furiously.

"You give yourself pleasure by killing innocent bystanders like this, Biwig?" an angry Cyrus asked. "You have no honor, not even in your shit."

"Insolent fool!" Biwig hollered. "All that get in the way must face the consequences. I did what I did for the sake of Vendeen."

"You make me sick," Fayt said in pure rage.

Cyrus groaned. "You know what I say to you...?" He turned his cap around and pulled out his middle finger straight up. With a stern look, he said to Biwig, "go fuck yourself, biyatch!"

"What? How dare you speak to me like that! Who do you think you are?"

"They call me the DarkMaster, DJ Blazer, O.G.C. But you can call me Cyrus Splicer, fool! And you done gone pissed me off!"

"Whatever, you little asshole. Prepare to die!"

"Not before you!" Maria retorted.

"Hold up!" Cyrus said with a held up palm. "Before we shank you so badly that yo' momma won't even tell you're the same species, explain. What business do you have with me?"

"We found you special. You are from another dimension and we know that. We want to know how you're able to survive here and the secrets of what's behind your power. We were going to take you alive, but it's a shame. No matter; we're going to dissect you anyways. Look on the bright side, you won't feel a thing because you'll already be destroyed!"

Cyrus pulled out his Light Saber and Bastard Sword. "If I wanna be torn to pieces, I'd rather be in a river of piranhas, than with you spineless fools!" Cyrus shouted.

"Let's finished this," Fayt said.

Cyrus carried Nel over near the building while Cliff carried Dr. Leingod's body there as well. "Don't worry, you two," Cyrus said. "We'll make him pay."

With one disgusted look, Cyrus put on "Bitter Dance" from Star Ocean: Till the End of Time and charged into battle with his Klausian ally. Fayt and Cyrus teamed up with Fayt against Biwig. They used their Side Kick and Raptor's Revenge, but Biwig quickly evaded the footwork. Cyrus rushed at the commander, slashing and stabbing with both his swords, but the attacks missed. Fayt rushed and struck at the Vendeeni. It seemed his attack worked, and the alien staggered backward. As Fayt kept him busy, Cyrus noticed that his weapons were flashing red and blue. He charged up a symbological attack. Fayt continued to attack Biwig. Unfortunately, the enemy leapt back a distance and charged his disruptor rifle. He saw Cyrus, who was focusing his energy in the preparation for a spell, and locked on him. Suddenly, a large dark orb appeared over Biwig's head and the ground around him became shrouded in shadow. It was Dark Sphere, and Cyrus pulled out his weapons again. Fayt also entered the brawl. There was nothing Biwig could do at the moment as the attack began sucking up his strength. When the attack was over, Biwig quickly slashed at them with a large water dagger and regrouped. He used his Illusion Rifle. He put his flame on the barrel and shot upward. The attack caused some considerable damage to the two swordsman. Biwig then used the ice alteration of the same attack and the damage increased. Biwig walked over to Cyrus and pointed his rifle at him. "It's all over," he said smugly. "Time to die!"

"Noooooo!" Fayt yelled.

"_What?"_ Cyrus thought. _"I ain't dyin' like this. He gacked people for game, and he expects me to be another one of his victims? I'm fighting him for the people he killed and injured in his greed for power. Nel, Dr. Leingod, even the people on the Helre. I ain't goin down, not this easy!" _

The commander opened fire at the shizznit. It seemed like all hope was lost. Cliff and Maria had already finished their opponents and saw the remaining Vendeeni fire his rifle. With every blast, the sand was picking itself up. Biwig laughed violently. "I'll admit, the boy had a mouth. Too bad he couldn't back it up. Now to annihilate the rest of you and my mission will be a success."

"Dream on, chump!" a voice shouted. Everyone was shocked. Biwig looked down and saw something that came as a nasty surprise. The dust cleared and the group stared at what appeared to be, a large, bat-like wing covering the ground.

"What the-! It can't be!" the Vendeeni commander yelped. The figure rose up and opened the one and only wing which was on his left side. The appendage was black and at the bottom, it was tipped in dark red. It popped right out of his trench coat. The antagonist stared at his opponent; his red eyes (darker than before) were piercing right through his soul. The only other person who was more surprised than Cliff, Maria and Biwig was Fayt. He knew the identity of the warrior.

It was Cyrus, but he wasn't himself. He leapt a few feet back from the commander. "This is for the torment that you have caused! All the people you hurt and killed will be avenged!" His dark power had shrouded Cyrus in a powerful sheet of energy. Except this time, it was even stronger than before. Biwig shot a valley of beams with his rifle, but the attacks bounced off the dark aura. "It's time to repent for your crimes, Biwig!" Cyrus grinned maliciously and used his boosted Shadow Slash. Before the Vendeeni could move, Cyrus had already came across the other side. Slowly, the enemy collapsed, dead by the time he hit the ground. The battle was over. The wing of the dark shizznit retracted back in his body and the warrior returned his swords back in his sheath and pocket. His power returned back to its normal level, leaving him feeling exhausted and a little disorientated. He doesn't know how, but he knew that he and his partners took down Biwig.

Fayt rushed to his father and Cyrus returned to Maria and Cliff. "Dad, dad!" Fayt shouted.

"...Forgive...me..." were the last words his father said. He strained and then died.

"Dr. Leingod," Maria said in a sad tone.

Sophia begins crying. "No, it can't be! Dad!" the blue-haired warrior screamed to the heavens, unable to believe what he just saw. Fayt also cries.

Cyrus shook his head, still can't believing this is taking place. _"I could be doing somethin' right now. Unfortunately, I couldn't. Man this sucks!" _He kicked at the ground.

Maria turned on the communicator. "Diplo… It's over," she said. "Transport us up."

"'Roger, Captain,'" Mirage said. "'We'll transport you up as soon as we can.'"

The group arrived on the ship. As soon as they transported, Cyrus felt a strain on the back of his left shoulder. But he made sure no one noticed. As Cliff and Maria took Nel to the sick bay, Fayt, Sophia and Cyrus took Dr. Leingod's lifeless body to one of the rooms. "Dad, what's on Moonbase? Answer me, Dad."

There was no answer. Sophia entered the room in her pink spell caster outfit. She saw her best friend mourning the death of his father "Fayt..."

Maria and Cliff, after taking Nel to the sick bay, entered the room to deliver the condition of the Elicoorian. "She'll be fine," Maria said. Cliff took a seat in a chair near the door.

"Really?" Cyrus asked. "That's a relief."

The room fell silent as Maria watched Fayt sitting in the chair next to his deceased father. "How long to you plan on moping around?" she asked in a frustrated tone.

"That's a mean thing to say!" Sophia shouted in his defense. "His father just died, you know! How about a little more sympathy?"

"Fayt, your father left something to the two of us!" Maria told Fayt. "What are you going to do about it?" The youth didn't answer. Instead, he turned his head away from the group. "I don't care what you do. I'm going to Moonbase. …Even if I have to go alone!"

"Maria, please..." Cyrus said.

"Cyrus––"

"Sorry," Fayt said, inadvertently cutting Maria off. "I'll go, too…to Moonbase. We'll go get whatever my father left behind."

Maria wiped a tear from her eye. "Good," she said.

"Fayt… Maria has a point," Sophia replied. "It's not like you to be so depressed. But…don't be too hard on yourself."

"Ok… I'm sorry for worrying you."

"That's okay."

"All right," Cliff said in an eager tone as he got off the chair. "So it's off to Moonbase, then?"

"Yeah, that's the plan," Maria answered. "I've already given the crew the order."

"All aboard is goin' aboard, huh?" Cyrus said.

"Moon…base?" Nel's voice replied. Everyone turned around and saw the Aquarian leaning on the doorway "I wonder what kind of place it'll be. Can't wait."

"Huh, what did you just say?" Fayt asked.

"Do you know what you're saying?" Maria asked. "You might never make it back home again!"

"I realize that," Nel said.

"I don't think you understand what you're getting into!" Cliff said.

"Fo' reals," Cyrus replied.

"We were able to end the war with Airyglyph thanks to all of you," Nel explained. "But now that the war is over, there is no longer a need for me there. So, now, I'd like to help you all out. That's the only way I can pay you back for helping to end the war."

"Yeah, but..." Fayt was speechless.

"But if you feel that I'll just get in the way, I'll leave."

"You won't be in the way, but still…" Cliff was trying to think about what to say. However, his train of thought was interrupted by a certain young shizznit. "What's so funny?" he asked.

"You, being in the way, Nel?" Cyrus asked rhetorically. "Like that'll ever happen. We need someone like you."

"That's true," Fayt said.

"You two sure?" Sophia asked.

"Yeah. I think so. C'mon."

"You already have my vote," Cyrus said.

"Fine," Maria said. "If that's how you two feel, I've no objections."

"Ok, what can you do?" Cliff thought out loud.

"Welcome back to the crew, Nel," Cyrus said.

"It's great to be back."

A loud sound was heard behind them. It was Maria's transmitter. She opened the channel and answered. "Yes?"

"'Incoming communication from the Aquaelie…'" Mirage reported. "'What do you want to do?'"

"I'll be right there."

The group followed the captain to the bridge of the ship where Commodore Wittcomb was already on screen. "'I see you all made it back safely,'" he said. "'That's a relief.'"

"Not all of us, Commodore," Fayt said. "My father was killed by Biwig before we got here."

"'I'm sorry about your father.'"

"Thank you..."

"'However, all we have now is you. This may have dashed the Federation's hopes.'"

"What do you mean?" Maria asked. "What do you know that we don't?"

"'I can't tell you over the comm link. Can you come over to my ship?'"

"If that's okay with you? Quark and the Federation aren't exactly friends."

"'The Aquaelie is my ship, and on my ship, I decide who is friend or foe. And if anyone objects, they can visit the brig while you're here.'"

"I have no objections," Cyrus whispered to Nel. "Do you?"

"I think we can trust him," she said.

"We'll be there shortly," Maria said.

"'Excellent,'" Commodore Wittcomb replied.

"Commodore..." Fayt said. "I have a request."

"'What is it?'"

"We want to go to Federation Station #5—Moonbase. But they would never let us near them on a Klausian ship. I'd like to ask you to take us there in the Aquaelie."

"'Moonbase? That's where Dr. Leingod's research lab is.'"

"That's right… 'Go to Moonbase' were my father's dying words. I think he meant for us to go there and find the truth."

"'Yes, but after Dr. Leingod was captured, we searched the lab's database thoroughly. Yet, we did not find any useful information.'"

"Still, we'd like to check for ourselves. You might've overlooked something, and there may be some things that would only interest us."

"That's right," Maria agreed. "And there are most likely things in there that only we would understand."

"'Right, understood,'" Commodore Wittcomb replied. "We'll transmit a homing beacon. Bring only the minimum number of personnel required.'"

"Thank you, Commodore," Fayt said in appreciation.

"'Then we have a deal?'"

"Yes," Maria said.

"'Oh, and about Earth… You had better brace yourselves.'"

"Huh?" Fayt said confused. The communication ended.

"'Brace yourselves'?" Sophia repeated in bewilderment.

"Wonder what he means?"

"I suppose we'll find out when we get there," Cliff simply replied.

"Only we will go to Aquaelie," Maria said. "Stand down weapons and wait until further notice. Mirage and Marietta, take care of her while we're gone."

"Roger," Mirage said.

"Captain…I mean, Maria…" Marietta began. "Don't worry about us, we'll take care of things here. We have Lancar and the others to keep us company. Be careful."

"Thanks."

The group left the room and traveled to the transporters. However, Cyrus and Fayt were cut off from their comrades by Lieber. He passed by Maria with a small smile, but had a ferocious look when it came to Cyrus and Fayt. "You two better make sure she's safe, but keep your distance."

"How can we do that if we're keeping an eye on her?" Fayt asked.

"Yeah," Cyrus said. "I mean, we have to stay close, B. How will she be safe."

"You listen, here," Lieber shouted. "It's because of you two that Maria is in peril to begin with. You, and especially your winged friend here, better not do anything so much as touch the captain."

"Hold up. Did you just say 'winged friend?'" After repeating that, Cyrus chuckled. "Boy Liebizzle, I thought you were trippin' before. But now I know your mind must've gone off, too."

"You don't remember?" the gunner said in shock.

"Hey, you two," Maria called. "We gotta go."

"Yeah, we'll be right there," Fayt said.

"Lieber said that he wanted to tell you somethin'," Cyrus replied with a sneaky grin. Lieber turned to the captain and began stuttering non-understandable syllables. Maria cocked her head in confusion. "Now's our chance," the shizznit told Fayt. The blue-head nodded and they dashed to the transporter room. Steeg smiled at the act, seeing it to be rather humorous. "The old slip, works every time," Cyrus told him with a thumbs up.

"Okay, you guys," Steeg said. "Transporting in less than a minute." After that period of time, the group had been transported. The nervous Lieber became furious. He began to have a fit. Steeg looked back and laughed. "They did pull a fast one on you, didn't they?" Steeg replied.

"Shut up!" Lieber yelled. The angry Klausian walked back to his room. Stomping and muttering profanities directed to the swordsmen, his sworn enemies for Ms. Traydor's affection.

Meanwhile on the Aquaelie, the group had arrived on the ship and greeted by one of the Federation officers. "So, it's Dr. Leingod's son, the Splicer child and esteemed members of Quark."

"That's right," Maria said. "And who are you?"

"Please forgive my manners," he saluted. "I am Lieutenant Fields. I serve under the command of Commodore Wittcomb. The commodore has bade me to show you around."

"I see. Thank you. In that case, I apologize for the rush, but could you please take us directly to the commodore?"

"Very well. Please follow me."

"All right, let's go. There's no time to waste." The group followed the officer to the conference room.

Cyrus noticed that Fayt had something on his mind again. "Alright, what's wrong?" the youth exasperated. "I know that the death of a loved one is hard to cope with, but I have a feeling it's somethin' other than that, homes."

"Cyrus, let me ask you something."

"Shoot."

"Do you remember the battle with Biwig?"

"Who could forget. I was finally able to use Dark Sphere and you and I kicked his ass."

"Is that all?"

"Well, for some reason, I only remember that I was about to get shot. Then the next thing I knew, I was standing over his fallen body feeling like shit. What happened?"

"You were the one that delivered the finishing blow and... you sprouted a wing!"

"Wha-?" Cyrus was surprised. "There must be something... I'll check it out after our chat with the commodore."

"I hope it's not serious."

"Hey, I'm hoping the same thing. I mean it's not everyday some guy sprouts an aerial appendage from his back."

The team of five arrived at the Conference room where Commodore Wittcomb stood behind the table. "I bid you welcome to the Aquaelie, the most powerful vessel of the Pangalactic Federation. It is an honor to meet you in person."

"As it is our's," Maria said.

"Now let's get down to business, commodore," Cyrus said.

"Yes. Please have a seat." The group took their chairs and listened intently. "It will take a while to reach Moonbase. Let me explain the situation in the meantime. The three of you in particular

have been on Elicoor for some time and probably know little of what is going on."

"_What does he mean by 'the three of us'?"_ Cyrus pondered. _"I guess originally, he means Maria as well. Seeing that she's the captain and has been with us for around a week. A lot of things can change in such a short time." _

"Please, fill us in," Fayt said.

"The Earth and the entire galaxy are facing an unprecedented threat."

"You're not talking about the war with Vendeen and Aldian, are you?"

"That is correct. I imagine you are also aware of those powerful bursts of energy?"

"Yes, exceeding magnitude 3, right?" Maria asked.

"They were aimed at Earth. The planetary defense shield managed to partially block the attack. But it still caused considerable damage."

"It was too much for the planetary defense shield?" Fayt asked.

"Yes, and those energy bursts were a message. A declaration of war."

"Declaration of war? What alien power has the ability to mount such a devastating, long-range attack?"

"A new power, previously unknown to us, emissaries of an entity known as the Creator. They call themselves the Executioners—Enforcers of the Creator—come to sentence us to our death."

"The Creator?" Sophia asked.

"Yes, it is not uncommon for dictators to claim divine origin. Their message states that our science has delved into forbidden areas, and thus the Creator has decreed our annihilation."

"That's insane," Cliff said.

"I guess there's no real difference from here to where I live," Cyrus said.

"Sounds like a plain old invasion to me," Fayt said.

"We believe that is correct," Commodore Wittcomb said. "They are, without a doubt, a power to be reckoned with. They have technology far exceeding our own."

"So in other words, we'd better say our prayers," Cliff replied.

"Take a look at this." The commodore turns on a hologram of the Earth and the space around it. "This is the Earth. And this shows our attempt to use our space stations to trace the route of the energy blasts." Several lines appear on the screen, each one hitting the planet. "Their energy blasts passed through an unknown dimensional space—faster than the speed of light."

"An unknown dimensional space?" Maria asked.

"Indeed. The blast traveled through neither subspace nor gravitic space. This alone hints at the capabilities of their technology. Shockingly, the energy pulses were released from an uncharted region over 50,000 light-years away."

"50,000 light-years?" Fayt said in shock.

"That's bypassing all the known laws of the universe in a bombshell!" Cyrus replied.

"Yes, the data stunned us," Commodore Wittcomb said. "Our analysts said the same thing. Several of them rushed to get their eyes examined."

"Have they sent out a fleet?" Maria asked.

"We don't know. If there is one, we haven't detected it. Still, a declaration of war has been made. Surely it will not be long. An attack by a fleet of such power would spell trouble for the Federation."

"This is bad," Fayt replied.

"So this means Klaus, Vendeen, and Aldian are all in deep trouble," Cliff said.

"Yes…" the Commodore said worryingly. "And it seems Vendeen was attempting to capture and use the Federation's secret weapon. They would consider any offer of cooperation with the Federation an insult."

"Secret weapon... me," Fayt said.

"Correct. That is what I've been told. Apparently, Dr. Leingod and his team developed you after they detected the Executioners' presence years ago. But frankly you do not look like much of a weapon to me. How can a man of flesh and blood fight a fleet of starships?"

"Yet it was I who destroyed the battleship Invisible," Maria pointed out.

"What?" the Commodore gasped. "You did that?"

"Yes. Like Fayt, I too, am the product of Dr. Leingod's genetic engineering."

"I see. Is that so? Only upper echelons of the Federation were privy to Dr. Leingod's top secret research. But if what you say is true, if there is another, then we may have a chance."

"Unfortunately, our powers are still unreliable. We can't just invoke them whenever we want."

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said. Neither of us can fully control our powers."

"Perhaps the late Dr. Leingod placed some means of security on you. Losing him was a great tragedy."

"Another reason we need to get to my father's lab on Moonbase," Fayt said.

"Yes, but as I said before, the lab's database has already been searched. Don't expect too much."

"Maybe you're right," Maria said in agreement. "When I investigated the lab before, I found no information of that kind."

"…If we cannot rely on your powers, we shall have to face the Executioners with what we have."

"Aren't we a motley bunch..." Cyrus said under his breath.

"Though there is just one more thing..." the Commodore said.

"What's that, sir?"

"I'm having a hard time to believe that you came from another universe."

"Is that so?"

"In some way, it all would make sense... The mysterious file that was just found in the computers a few weeks ago, the space-time distortion observed on Hyda IV right before the attack... Is it true?"

Cyrus thought about what to say. _"If I say yes, I may put this universe in even worse shape than it already is. If I say no, everything will stay at its present course. I guess I have no choice..." _"No. Though, I can't blame them. It's not everyday someone's info happens to pop up on a galactic computer at the same time an anomaly occurs."

"True. Though why would the Vendeeni go out of their way to retrieve you, too?"

"Who knows, who cares," Cyrus shrugged.

At that moment, an announcement was made on the speakers. "'Bridge to Commodore,'" a male operator called.

"Yes?"

"'We have a transmission from Federation Station #9.'"

"Give me a display."

"'Right away, sir.'"

On the projector, it shows the commander of the space station. Unfortunately, the screen is scrambled by the current attack and the man barely came in. "'Commo…, …'re under att…k by…a ……oup ……them…lves the… Enforce…! Req…ing immediate—Gah… Th…those aren't …ips! Wha… are…? Are …ey gods?'" The communication closed down. Even though they couldn't see or hear him, the scene was loud and clear, the Executioner's were on the assault.

"'We've lost the signal," the male operator said. "Report from Headquarters: Federation Station #9…has been obliterated!'"

"Obliterated?" Commodore Wittcomb was in horrified, even after he repeated it.

"'Orders, Commodore?'" There was no response by the Commodore as he began to think about his next move. "'Commodore?'"

"Yes, yes, I know. Maintain our present course to Earth." Everyone in the room was silent. "Not a ship? Did I hear him say what I think he said? What could this mean?"

"I think he's saying the Executioner's are gods," Cliff replied.

"No god would kill as they do," Nel quoted under her breath.

"This is getting old," Cyrus started, "but 'god' my ass."

"Whatever they are, I fear we'll find out soon enough," Maria said.

"Yeah," Fayt said in agreement.

"We should go to the bridge," Commodore Wittcomb said. "We'll be able to learn more of our current situation up there."

"Normally, people stay away from such probs," Cyrus said.

"Lead the way," Cliff said. The group left the room and headed to the next transporter room. They arrived at the bridge, which reminded Cyrus of the other ships, both here and in the "fictional" universes.

"12 hours flight time to Earth," Lieutenant Fields told the Commodore.

"Okay. Connect me with Headquarters."

"Yes, sir! Connecting…"

"This is the Aquaelie calling Fleet Headquarters."

On screen, a male elder was shown sitting in a chair of a large room. "'Hermes, here,'" he said.

"This is Wittcomb, sir. What's our situation, Admiral?"

"'You probably already know, but we've lost Stations #8, #9, #31, #36, and #42. The enemy has not been identified, but we do know they are, in all likelyhood, headed straight for Earth.'"

"I see, sir. Our orders?"

"'Stay your present course. Other ships are being dispatched to block the enemy. Battleships and combat explorers have already been deployed. 162 ships are stationed around Earth, 112 around

Station #9, and 215 around Station #20.'"

"Understood, sir."

"'Oh, and Commodore? Word is the Enforcers have already attacked and destroyed Aldian.'"

"What?"

"'They were the closet to the enemy's point of origin. Though we were not friends, I mourn their loss. The same fate awaits us if we don't keep our wits. It's the most powerful threat the Federation has ever faced, yet in the past we've always managed to overcome difficulty. Godspeed, Commodore!'"

"Yes, sir."

"'Over and out.'" The transmission was closed.

"Wow," Cyrus said under his breath to Cliff. "We're in it deep."

"You could say that again," the Klausian replied.

"We must go to Federation Station #5 at once and carry out our mission," the Commodore said.

"Right," Fayt agreed. The swordsman turned to his comrades. "You guys should get some rooms, I have a few questions I would like to ask."

"Are you sure," Sophia asked.

"Don't worry, Sophia," he reassured. "It won't take long."

"Okay."

"Well, I have something to look into anyway," Cyrus said.

"Alright," Nel replied. The group parted ways and Fayt stayed behind. On the lower level, Cyrus checked into an empty room on the eastern wing and turned on the computer. At the moment, he had something important to check out.

* * *

Author's Note 1: Please don't criticize me on the next chapter. I forgot about some stuff in genetics.

* * *

Part 16.3: Cryptic Code

Cyrus started up the computer. He looked at many of the tools he found and saw them as useful for his research. There were microscopes, petri dishes, swabs and other materials. This was what he needed. If what he thinks is true, the answer to his abilities lie in his mitochondria, which also leads to his own DNA. Cyrus hooked up the equipment and opened a lab program. "Okay, now to find out the workings of my power," he said to himself. He opened his mouth and swabbed the side of his mouth. He was able to create a solution from some of the food he found in the lunchroom. He put the swab in the dish which sat on a tray under a microscope. "Now that my cells are in, I need to do one more thing," he thought. "One, I have to find someone else whose mitochondria I could compare to."

He left the room and went to the other side. He bought some new items and figured he could go to Maria's room, seeing as they haven't talked for a while. "Ding dong," Cyrus said as he entered."

"Oh, Cyrus."

"Maria, it's nice to see you." He looked at her computer which had some sort of information. "I thought I was busy. So, Maria..."

"Yeah?"

"You said you found a file on me?"

"Yeah, that's right. You want to see it?"

"If it's not too much of a prob." Maria began typing the various keys. In less than a few seconds, a small folder popped up. Cyrus looked at it. Sure enough, it was his background alright. "Wow," he gasped. "They have it in every little detail."

"Yes. There's also something else."

"What?"

"Before you arrived, there was another person just like you. Unfortunately, the data on her was stolen not too long after she appeared."

"You mean Lystara?"

"Yes. I wonder how you know?"

"It's a thing..."

"But tell me, Cyrus, why are you here?"

"Huh?" Cyrus said.

"I know you didn't come here just to say 'hi,'" Maria said with a flat look.

Cyrus was pretty nervous. "Um... uh... It's pretty hard to say..."

"What is it?"

"Okay, here it goes... You see Maria... I need you mitochondria..."

Maria was pretty shocked when she heard that. "What do you mean?"

"No wait. The reason I need them is to compare my cells to yours. See, I remember that Fayt said I grew some sort of appendage. And this symbology of mine is... enigmatic to say the least. If I could just borrow one sample, then I may find the cause. I believe it's a some sort of mutation, though I'm not completely certain. If you don't want, I understand."

Maria thought this long and hard. "Okay," she answered. "But I'm coming, too. I would like to see if there is a similarity between us."

"Who wouldn't," Cyrus shrugged. "Well, let's go."

The two went back to the shizznit's room where Maria was impressed that Cyrus was making a small lab with such few materials. It wasn't really one that was "modern," but it still worked out. "Okay, now say 'ahhh,'" the young swordsman said wryly. Maria opened her mouth and Cyrus swabbed the side. He put the plate in another dish filled with the solute and began looking at his sample. "Let's take it in for a closer look," he said. Cyrus steadily drew the lens closer to the cells. Then he went to the computer and turned on the electron option. As soon as he did, both saw something odd on Cyrus mitochondria. Just as he figured, strange symbols were observed.

"I see you have them, too," Maria said.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Take a look at mine," the blue-head said in a simple tone.

Cyrus opened took off his petri dist and began scanning Maria's cells. It was just like in his. The mitochondria showed symbological patterns. Except these were different. "Holy hizzle," Cyrus exasperated.

"Normally, the symbology resides in the DNA of a certain character. However, our genes are actually on the mitochondrion."

"I wonder why that is?" Cyrus asked.

"The mitochondrion is the source of the genetic material of every living thing. It is also responsible for creating energy that keep the cells active."

"So what you're saying is the energy we receive also powers up the dormant symbological abilities."

"Seeing that being the case, that is why Fayt and I have that mutation."

"That would explain that wing everyone keeps talking about. It's a mutation that occurs during high concentrations of energy. So that means..." Cyrus knew what Maria was getting to. He only smirked and folded his arms. "You still believe my powers were manipulated, do you?"

"That seems to be a likely possibility."

"Naw, that can't be."

"You're pretty laid back."

"Yeah, well... you know. I just figured that it doesn't really matter."

The room became silent. "Get some rest, Cyrus. Tomorrow is the day we look into the Leingod base. Maybe we'll get the answers we're looking for."

"You got it... Maria." Maria looked back at Cyrus and smiled. The dark-clothed teenager smiled back as a response before the blue-haired leader of Quark left the room. _"You know," _he thought,_ "she's cute when she smiles."_ He put away the equipment and turned off the computer. Cyrus then turned his MP3 Player on to "Move!" by Public Enemy and Sista Soulja and went to bed.

* * *

Author's Note 2: Cyrus just showed us the depth's of his latent power in Intergalactic Interlude. Note however that this is not "God-like." Like Fayt, Cyrus' powers take time to mature. It happened before in Chaotic Darkness, Unleashed Destruction. However, that occurred as a result of Fayt's manifestation. His activation of the destruction gene caused the dark shizznit to loose control of his abilities. In Cryptic Code, he has uncovered that a mutation is responsible for this. This wing will only appear on a regular basis (not an 'every time' thing like you'd see in Baten Kaitos). Sorry, just thought you'd want a small review. This is to clear the fact that Cyrus isn't stronger or weaker than our favorite blue-haired swordsman; he's around the same level. (Hope this doesn't affect any reviewers and fans).

* * *


	18. Chapter 17

* * *

Author's Note 1: I forgot to add something to the last chapter to better describe the symbols in his cells and the strange thing with wings. The last thing I need is for any one to believe that Cyrus is a religious figure like a demon or a god. That would be really bad.

* * *

Part 17.1: Mysteries of the Past

During his sleep, Cyrus was transported once again, to Luther's lab in 4D Space. He looked around and saw the same computer. But that wasn't all. On the large screen, he witnessed the approach of the Executioners flying through space, destroying worlds and stations of various parts of the known galaxy. The young swordsman was speechless. "Welcome back, Mr. Splicer," a familiar voice greeted. He turned back and saw the face of none other, but Luther Lansfield.

"What do you want now?" the shizznit hissed.

"Now, now," Luther said. "I only want to congratulate you on your recent victories. That Vendeeni commander was one thing, but your performance with that creature, a dragonmare, was it? That was a real show."

"Yeah, sure," Cyrus scoffed.

"However, the turnout with that copy of yours, Stratus, had us stunned. We expected at least a tie."

"I see you lost a lot of money on that bet. Tell me something else that's new. So cough it up, son. Why am I here again?"

"To give you a helping hand, my friend. You see, that battle with Biwig caused your data to temporarily rewrite itself. The fluctuation you've undergone was strange, but interesting at the same time."

"Stop sucking eggs and get to the point."

"Very well. Come with me." Cyrus followed Luther to one of his consoles. One of the screens changed to Cyrus' data information. "I see you have learned that your power comes from inside your cellular data and is invoked by the mitochondrion, correct?"

"Yeah."

"I'll have to say, you only scratched the surface, my winged ally. And I say that real loosely." Cyrus scoffed as he knew what a 'wing' was. Luther started typing various buttons. As he did, the screen started to zoom inside Cyrus' body. It went through his skin, past his vessels, into his blood cells and stopped at the mitochondrion. "Prepare yourself," Luther said. He typed in more buttons and the screen went into the mitochondrion where Cyrus saw the double helix of his DNA.

"Okay, why are you showing my DNA?" Cyrus asked. "I already learned about this crap in my 6th grade year."

"You know that there are strange symbols residing in each and every mitochondrion unit in your cells, correct?"

"Yeah..."

"Did you every wonder why? What would cause such a strange phenomenon?" Cyrus was silent. It was clear that he didn't know the answer. "Look closer, Mr. Splicer."

Cyrus focused his vision and saw small specks of dark balls circling with his DNA structure. "What the-?" Cyrus was shocked. "What are those?"

"Those are what you in the Eternal Sphere would call Dark Energy."

"Dark Energy? I can't help but think I've heard that before..." Cyrus said as he scratched his head.

"You should. Dark Energy is the most abundant substance in the Eternal Sphere. It is what's responsible for the acceleration of your universe and its missing mass. In other words, it's what we use as a boundary line, the barrier if you will and the space that allows us to create more worlds, further expanding the game."

"Hold up. So how and why do I have this stuff in my DNA?"

Luther thought of how indeed. "Perhaps it has something to do with your arrival."

"For once, I think you're making sense. That vortex must of had a high concentration of dark energy in it. The substance must have been absorbed in my body. But how am I using these abilities?"

"Over time, it must have assimilated with your own genetic make up."

"So that's why and how I'm able to use these powers."

"Now that we have resolved that mystery, I believe I have more news. It's not what you would call 'good news.'"

"What do you got?"

"The Executioner programs are heading in the same direction your going. I would suggest that now's the time to use the enhancement I gave you."

Cyrus knew what the Creator was referring to and pulled it out. "I still have it."

"Excellent. Also, to get that clone out of the way, I give you this." Luther tosses a small disk to Cyrus. The swordsman catches it and looks at the item. It too was written in 4D, but this one was black.

"What is it?"

"Our analysis shows that the data of the Stratus is different from the rest of the Eternal Sphere, just like with our last anomalies, including yourself. With that disk, you'll be able to defeat the copy on an even playing field."

"I'll keep that in mind. But tell me, why?"

"Simple. I want to keep studying you until the time is right."

"Now I know how Maria feels," Cyrus said in a low tone.

"Time to part ways. So long, for now." Luther pressed a button on the console.

Cyrus blacked out and heard a sound go off. He woke up and found himself back on the Aquaelie. Also in the room was Nel, who stood over his tired body. "Hey Nel, what's up?"

"It's time to go," she said in a low voice. "We're at Moonbase."

"Let's get going." The two traveled to the bridge. Cyrus was listening to "1st of tha Month" by Bone Thugs 'N Harmony to wake himself up. On there way, they met up with a certain Leingod who was still a little drowsy.

"Had a good sleep?" Nel asked.

"Yeah," he said. "Though I could've used a few more minutes."

"Can't we all?" Cyrus replied. "So, are you ready to go along with this?"

"It seems like I have no choice. If I don't uncover my dad's work, the entire universe might be destroyed."

"Well then, let's hurry," Nel said. The two nodded and Nel led them to the bridge. Cyrus still felt the tingly feeling of his atoms being taken apart and put back together once more. The three arrived at the bridge.

"Federation Station #5 is currently under a state of alert," Commodore Wittcomb replied. "The Executioners have begun to attack the surrounding area. You cannot transport directly to Dr. Leingod's research lab. That area is

protected by transport jamming to prevent direct access. You'll have to transport to the nearest location: the Recreational Zone."

"_Gee, there's something to wake up to,"_ Cyrus thought to himself.

"Right," Fayt replied.

"Do what you must do. The fate of the galaxy is in your hands."

"Yes, sir."

"Move out!" With that being said, Fayt and his companions rushed to the transporter room and with no time to waste, entered Moonbase.

"We made it. Moonbase…" Sophia said.

"Ah… This is the station in Lunar orbit, Federation Station #5," Cliff replied. "Otherwise known as Moonbase."

"Well when you say it like that, how could it be anything else," Cyrus said.

"This is where my dad and his team had their research lab," Fayt explained. "I've only been here a few times."

"I only came here once when I was really little, myself," Sophia replied. "I transported directly to the Research Zone…"

"I guess this time, we'll have to walk," Cliff said.

"Yeah," Fayt replied. "But it shouldn't be too far."

"So we're gonna be relying on memory?" Cyrus asked.

"Not quite," Maria said. They turned around and saw that she had her Quad Scanner out. "It looks like Dr. Leingod's research zone is to the west from here."

"Alright, Maria," Cyrus applauded.

"Let's go," Fayt said. The group left the room and entered a hallway that connected the transporter room to the rest of the space station.

Cyrus was listening to "Nothin' but a G Thang" by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. As they walked, they couldn't help but notice the many explosions occurring outside. At the moment, the Federation wasn't holding up well, and the fight only started. _"We better hurry!" _Cyrus thought to himself. After a few seconds of watching the chaos ensuing outside, they arrived at the Recreational Zone, a large part of the space station that was filled with many shops. It seemed that the Executioners haven't targeted the location, but none the less, the team treaded carefully.

And that's when it happened. Out of nowhere, an object hit the back of Fayt's head, causing the swordsman to fall to his knees. Sophia rushed over to Fayt and helped him up. Nel looked around and rushed over and pulled out her dagger. "Are we under attack?" she said in concern.

"What is that?" Cliff asked.

Maria picked up the object that landed next to Fayt. "It's... a rock?" she said out of disbelief.

"Oh my god!" Cyrus jokingly panicked as Maria put the rock back down. "The rocks are on the attack! What do we do? What do we do?"

"Where'd that come from?" Sophia asked.

"Say your prayers!" a voice behind them said. They turned around and saw a familiar girl standing on a roof of a shop. "You ruined our gig! How are we gonna make any money now? It's payback time! Huh?"

"Peppita?" Fayt and Sophia said in confusion.

"It's the Rossetti!" Cyrus replied.

"Fayt, Cyrus and Sophia?" she said in shock. "What are you doing here?"

"It's a long story."

"Is there anywhere safe to talk?" Sophia asked.

"Follow me." The little Velbaysian leapt off the roof of the building and walked the group to the auditorium. "So tell me, what happened to you guys since the Helre?"

The group looked at Fayt. The swordsman nodded and said, "I think we have some time." Fayt told him everything. From the time they landed on Vanguard III to the time they defeated Biwig. They even told Peppita about the symbological genes that were implanted in Maria and Fayt. Also, Cyrus told her about his own new found powers (though he was sure to leave out the part on how he received them).

The circus performer was amazed at the tale. "Wow, what an amazing story."

"That's why we have to hurry on over to the research area. Peppita, why are you guys here," Fayt replied.

"We came to put on a show—what else? But while we were getting ready, that evacuation announcement came on, and we got shoved in here. I was so mad, I came here to give them a piece of my mind!"

"That's dangerous, you know," Sophia said. "You have no idea how serious this is."

"Yeah, but it's better than doing nothing. I hate the feeling of getting walked all over. It's frustrating, isn't it?"

"Well, yeah," Cliff said.

"You can say that again," Nel replied.

"Well, I do know how it feels," Maria quoted.

"It sucks," Cyrus said.

"That doesn't change the fact that it's dangerous," Fayt explained. "You need to wait here and leave the rest to us. Can you do that, Peppita?"

Peppita thought for a second. "Okay..." she said depressingly.

"I don't really believe that," Cyrus said flatly.

"Well, you guys take care," Peppita said and waved. "And it was nice to see you again."

"Take care of yourself."

The group left the room and were back outside. They trekked westward to the next area of the space station. It, unfortunately, showed some damage caused by the attack. They continued their walk, but stopped as a siren blared. "Intruder alert, intruder alert," the computer warned. "Intruders detected within facility."

"You don't think they're talking about us, do you?" Cliff asked.

"I don't think so," Fayt said as he got into his battle position. The rest of the group also saw the incoming threat and took their fighting stances.

Floating toward them was, what appeared to be, an angel with three pairs of wings on her back. Her eyes were closed and she wore a white and yellow dress. "What is that?" Sophia asked.

"I proclaim the will of the Enforcers," the Proclaimer said. "You are a plague…to be destroyed."

"Well if you want the black plague, then you've found it," Cyrus replied.

"Is…that one of the Executioners?" Maria questioned.

"That's no god," Nel said sternly.

"The Enforcers shall purify this defiled galaxy," the Proclaimer replied. "The Proclaimers shall purge the defilement. Prepare to die, irregularities."

"Not if we have anything to say about it!" Cliff said.

"Fayt, Cliff, you up?" Cyrus asked.

"Let's show 'em what we got!" Fayt said.

Cyrus turned his MP3 Player on to "Influence of Truth Appearance" from Star Ocean: Till the End of Time. The three charged into battle. The three slashed and punched the Executioner, but the attacks seemed to have bounced off. The Proclaimer summoned an insignia on the ground under her and pillars appeared and spun around at high speeds. The trio were thrown back and suffered major damage. They got up and saw that the creature was floating toward them again. Cyrus used Power Up on Fayt and the blue-haired swordsman glided toward the enemy. He used Side Kick, which caused a little damage to the foe, but not enough. Cliff also joined in and used his Electric Fists. The attack showed some damage, but still not enough to take the enemy Executioner out. Cyrus activated Darkness Blade and also rushed after the Proclaimer. It seemed that they had it on the ropes. That was until, the Proclaimer floated up in the air. It was too far out of range for Fayt's Lightning Blast and it would be in the eye of Cyrus' Blazing Tempest Flare, even if he wanted to use it. As they looked at the monster, they saw a large green ball of energy. Instinctively, they knew it was time to spread out. The group barely made it out of range. As the orb dropped, it caused a large wave with another symbol on the ground. They felt the hit and were thrown in different directions. Cyrus got up and saw the Proclaimer going toward Fayt. The young shizznit couldn't believe how powerful this Executioner was. Some of the powerful attacks the team executed weren't even making it break a sweat. Fayt got up and saw the foe towering over him. He stood up, ready to defend himself. "Fayt!" Cyrus called. "Take this!" he said.

Cyrus threw the disk with the Executioner rendering program and the blue-haired swordsman caught it. "What is this?" he called.

"It don't matter, just use it! You need it more than me!" Without further to do, Fayt attached the disk to his sword. As soon as he did, the weapon began to change. The sword blade became transparent and glowed blue. Its grip was a pure white and the guard was gold. Cyrus was stunned at the weapon. As an expert in swords or other armory (thanks to his training with Diogo), even he was in awe when he set his gave upon its form. "That... must be the..."

"The Divine Avenger..." Fayt finished. He turned his attention away from the weapon and returned to the opposing Proclaimer. He kicked up and crossed slashed at the enemy. The Executioner was sent back. The swordsman rushed at the foe and was ready to thrust the blade, but the Proclaimer used its Speed Hack, appearing behind Fayt and assaulted with a cross wave. Fayt turned around and slashed the attacked in half and jabbed at the Proclaimer. Fayt then attacked the Executioner with a swift and powerful Side Kick. Cyrus was itching to join in the fight, but Cliff held the dark swordsman back by his shoulder. Cyrus understood what this meant and the two looked on. Fayt backed up readying his next attack. The Proclaimer saw its opportunity and released Dark Sphere. The ground below the swordsman turned black. The next thing he saw was a large orb popping out of the pool of darkness. Instinctively, Fayt hurried out of the symbological attack's range just before the floor started absorbing itself. As soon as the spell disappeared, the Proclaimer appeared through another Speed Hack. The signs appeared below the monster as it started to summon it's pillars, but Fayt saw it coming and the move was cancelled with his Lightning Blast. The Executioner was weakened. The blue-haired swordsman finished the enemy off with one quick, powerful slash. The monster was thrown back and the battle was over.

"Way to go, Fayt!" Sophia congratulated.

"You did great!" Cliff replied.

"Actually, if Cyrus didn't give me that item, we may have been goners," Fayt said modestly. "Speaking of which, where did you get it anyway?" the swordsman asked curiously.

"Well... uh..."

While Cyrus was trying to think of an answer, the Proclaimer had floated back to its hovering feet behind him. It seemed that it wasn't ready to give up. "I proclaim…the will…of the Enforcers," the executioner said, weakly. "Death and annihilation…to the irregularities…"

Suddenly, the group heard someone shout "Hi-ya" and the monster disappeared. Behind the spot where the enemy vanished, Peppita stood with her cape still in the air. "Ha! What a wimp," she mocked. "Should have known better than to mess with me!"

"Huh?" Sophia couldn't believe who she was seeing. "Peppita?"

"What are you doing here?" Fayt asked anxiously.

"Oh, man," Cyrus moaned.

"I don't believe it," Nel said dryly.

"You told me to wait, but I just couldn't take it," the young acrobat said as she skipped to the group. "I didn't listen to anyone, not even the Circus Master. I had to come." The girl gave a light chuckle.

"Oh, dear," Maria replied.

Cyrus was confused. _"Are you sure you're 14 years old?"_ Cyrus thought to himself. _"Cause not even I do that."_

"It's no laughing matter," Nel said in a serious tone. "Attacking so suddenly like that… You're reckless beyond all reason."

"Funny to hear you say that," Cliff noted. "So, what do we do?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Fayt asked.

"Come on, come on," Peppita begged. "Take me with you. I'll make myself useful."

"I don't know about that," Maria said.

"But we can't let her go back on her own," Sophia argued.

"She got here alone, so she should be able to get back, too."

"That may be so, but..."

"Well, what should we do?" Nel asked. "Turn her away?"

"Nope," Cyrus responded to the question. "Let's think for a second. This place is crawling with Executioners and whatever, right? If we let her go, there may be a high chance she'll be down and out the next time we see her."

"What!" Peppita shouted. "You think I can't defend myself?" she asked Cyrus, who was a few inches taller.

"It's not that, Rossetti. But going back alone is more riskier than coming here." Cyrus turned to Fayt and asked the swordsman, "What do you think, G?"

Fayt thought about the decision for a second. "As long as you behave, then I guess it's alright."

"Really, Fayt?" Peppita said, ecstatically. "You mean it?"

"There really isn't a choice. You're already here and I figure it would be bad just to send you away by yourself. Besides, since you're here, I guess you could stay with us, a little while."

"Well, that makes sense. I guess." Maria said and walked toward Cliff.

"All right!" Peppita yelped. "Whoo! Cheers, everybody!"

"Just remember, it's only until we leave Moonbase," Fayt said.

"Just try and stay out of trouble, okay?" Sophia said.

"No problem!" the Velbaysian replied. "You can count on me!"

"I'd really like to believe that," Nel said.

"I'm not sure about this," Cliff stated.

"All right!" Peppita said excitedly. "Let's go!"

"Just, defend yourself when the need arises," Cyrus said. "After all, it's no good if one of us can't fight."

"Are you kidding? I'm not only a Fairy Guide, but I'm also a highly skilled fighter."

"I bet you are..."

"So how far are we from your old man's lab?" Cliff asked.

"It shouldn't take us that long," Fayt said. "We'll be there in a few minutes." With that said, they headed to the lab.

Peppita was singing and dancing like a little child, almost like Roger does, which made Cyrus wonder even more about her age. "You know somethin', Maria?" the swordsman asked. "She's starting to scare me..."

"Well, I admit, she is a little eccentric."

"That's one way of sayin' it. Then again, I guess there is a reason for the 'Pep' in Peppita."

Maria looked up. "Today's finally the day... the day we learn about our powers... In some ways, it almost feels too soon."

"Yeah," Cyrus agreed. "You and Fayt will find out why your parents did what they did. But just know this: I don't know them, maybe except for Fayt's parents, but I believe they're good people."

"I'm not saying they're not. But it still wasn't right for them to alter our genes."

"That's true." Cyrus was quiet for a second. "Maria..."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothin'. Just know that no matter the issue is, or whatever you do, you got me- I mean us... watching your back."

Maria's serious look took to a smile. "Thanks, Cyrus."

"Ha! No big. I'm just speakin' the truth." The two looked and smiled at one another, both quiet, with the exception of Cyrus' media player.

The scene was interrupted however when Peppita asked one of the most annoying questions in the known galaxy. "Are we there, yet?"

"No!" the teens said in unison.

"Are we there, yet?"

"No!"

"Are we there, yet?"

"No!"

"Are we-"

"No!" Cyrus shouted

"But I wasn't finished yet..." Peppita whined.

"What's it matter if it's the same freakin' question?" Cyrus asked furiously.

Peppita gave a large smile and a light chuckle. "Because it's fun, silly," she said. "And it also gives me something to do."

"Really now?" Maria exasperated. "Let's catch up to Fayt."

"Good idea," Cyrus replied. The three picked up the pace. During that time, Cyrus was whistling the theme of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. After a few hours of strolling from one edifice to another, the crew arrived at the elevator which led to the lab below.

"Well, this is it," Sophia said.

"There's no turning back now," said Maria.

"Let's do it," Fayt said, prepared to delve into the unknown. The group walked to the elevator and Cliff pressed the button on the control panel. The device made their descent to the lab below. When they arrived, the group investigated their surroundings. Cyrus, as always, searched the lab for items. He walked back over to the group, who stood in front of the large, main computer. "…No good," the blue-haired swordsman replied. "There's nothing here out of the ordinary."

"Computer, we'd like to browse the database for information on weapons using symbological genetics," Cliff requested to the computer.

The system begins its search. Unfortunately, the only thing the computer replied was, "'No matching data found.'"

"Damn!" Fayt yelped. "Does the data even exist?"

"Uncle Robert wouldn't lie," Sophia said. "The data must be in here somewhere."

"She's right…" Maria agreed. "Don't give up yet."

"But how?" Cyrus asked. "Right now, it ain't lookin' pretty, homies."

"There is one method we didn't try," Maria replied. The group looked at her confusingly. She looked up at the computer and ordered, "Computer, scan my genetic profile and search the database for any matching data."

The computer scanned her and began another search. "'Scanning…'" In a few minutes, a promising sound was heard. "'One result found.'"

"Bingo!" Cliff acknowledged.

"Display," Maria said.

The monitor showed a picture of the lab with a title on it. "'The Coming Crisis for Humanity'?" Fayt read.

"Sounds like our thing," Cyrus replied.

"Let's check it out," Maria suggested.

"Yeah," Fayt agreed. "Computer, please open application."

The program started, and on the screen were the familiar faces of Maria, Fayt and Sophia's parents in lab coats. "My dad and…Uncle Robert?" Sophia asked confusingly.

"They're pretty young, but I think you're right."

"Mom..." Maria said as she stared at one of the women on the screen.

"That woman on the end?"

"Yes... That's her."

The video changed and showed the terrain of a different world. "'This project was initiated as a result of the exploration of the planet Styx in Galactic Year 752,'" announced the voice of a younger Robert Leingod. The video changed the scene and showed the planet Styx. "'Styx is an unusual planet on which explorers found the Time Gate—a portal that seems to be a sort of time machine. A full-scale study of Styx and the Time Gate was undertaken in 752. The Time Gate is sentient. That was about all we knew about it based on our research up to that point. No one yet knew who had created the Time Gate, or for what purpose. However, all became clear after the study conducted in Galactic Year 752.'"

"Never heard about this before," Cliff said. "Something this big should have been major news."

"Maybe somewhere on this flick, we'll find out why it didn't," replied Cyrus.

The video turned back to the lab. "'After an investigation extending over several weeks, we have discovered that the Time Gate responds to symbological data," Dr. Leingod explained. "And it was recently discovered that when certain, special symbological data are sent into the Time Gate, it is possible to obtain recorded data from the Time Gate itself. However, included in these data was information more horrifying than we could have imagined. We learned of the existence of 4D beings.'"

"A 4D... Being?" Nel asked in uncertainty. "More word that make no sense."

"'Four-dimensional entities… Possessing technology far more advanced than our own—including the ability to travel through time. Furthermore, as we continued our research, we found out that these beings may actually have created our universe."

"C-created?" Sophia stuttered.

"Sounds like a fairy tale to me," Maria said.

"Shh, quiet," Fayt responded.

"_You have no idea how real it is,"_ Cyrus thought to himself.

"'The symbological technology that we use today originated with these beings," Fayt's father said. "The Time Gate on the planet Styx was also created by using their advanced symbological technology. We had thought that the Time Gate was a portal for traveling through time, but it appears we were wrong. The Time Gate is in fact a door to 4D space. Time travel was a phenomenon that occurred as a result of the protective measures taken to prevent us from detecting the existence of 4D space. The 4D universe allows free movement through time… And the Time Gate tapped into that potential. This was a most exciting discovery. Not only were we able to unravel the mystery of the Time Gate, we were also able to confirm the existence of a new species. But then something completely unexpected happened. The Time Gate spoke a warning…'"

The video went back to the planet Styx during the expedition where the scientist and Federation subordinates were studying the Time Gate. "'Resign thyselves,'" warned the Time Gate.

"'Doctor, the Time Gate…'" said a surprised subordinate.

"'What in the world…?'" Dr. Leingod said with a loss of words.

"'Science in the Eternal Sphere has advanced too far,'" the Time Gate spoke. "'This cannot be left unchecked.'"

"'The Eternal Sphere?'"

"'The Eternal Sphere is the universe as known to your kind.'"

"'Time Gate, tell us what you mean… Our science has advanced too far?'"

"''Symbological genetics is the science of the Creator, as is the symbology on which it is based. It is a forbidden art. Your kind has foolishly trespassed info a forbidden domain. There is a danger that this forbidden technology will be turned against the Creator. Thus, the time is near when he shall unleash the wrath of his Enforcers upon you all.'"

"'We were terrified by the Time Gate's warning.'" said the added voice of Robert. "The Creator was going to destroy his creations. It appeared that the armageddon prophesied by numerous religions was going to come true. We asked whether we could escape annihilation by abandoning symbological genetics. But the Time gate's reply completely crushed all our hopes.'"

"'It is too late. Even should you abandon your work, another will come to take it up again. Such is the way of your kind. You are contaminated beyond salvation. Your annihilation is inevitable. This is not a warning. This is a sentence. Resign thyselves. Resign thyselves. Resign thyselves.'"

The video turned blank and the voice of Dr. Leingod was heard. "'We returned to Moonbase, stunned. This entity, beyond our understanding, had proclaimed our doom." The scene turned back to him and the other scientists back in the lab. "'At first, we considered reporting this to the top levels of the Federation government, but it was too outrageous—we knew that no one would believe us. Our choice was either to reconcile ourselves to the Creator's wish for our destruction, or to fight to the bitter end. We chose the path of resistance. We would not accept our death sentence. If we are to die, we'll die fighting. Be that as it may, our enemy was the Creator of our universe. How could we face an enemy who possessed absolute power? To fight, we needed a tremendous power of our own. We decided to use symbological genetics in an attempt to create a weapon—a human with powers that could defeat the Creator. This was our project.'" The video viewed small chambers. "'Two children were selected to be the subjects of our experiments… I am sure there is no way we could ever apologize enough to these children, no way we could ever earn their forgiveness. People may label us as monsters. Nevertheless, we feel that this research—and this research alone—has a chance of saving us all. These children are our hope.'"

"That would be us," Fayt said.

"'The computations we ran on the data obtained from the Time Gate indicate that the Creator's power is phenomenal.' 'We gave one child the power to destroy—the Destruction gene. To the other child, we gave the power of change—the Alteration gene. However, we do not expect that the powers of these two children alone are enough to stand up to the 4D Being known as the Creator. 'We believe our survival rests on one thing: we must enter 4D space and defeat the Creator.' 'That is why we have decided to give the next child, Professor Esteed's child, the power to connect space—the Connection gene. She will be able to use this symbological genetic power to create a path through the Time Gate and into 4D space.'"

"What?" Sophia said shocked. Everyone turned to her in disbelief.

"'This unborn child is the key to unlocking our enemies' gates.'" Robert said.

"Sophia? You too?" Fayt asked.

"No, it can't be. I..." The brunette was speechless. Fayt quickly embraced her for comfort and scowled at the scientists on the screen.

"'The children's powers will not flower immediately," Robert said. "However, when these three children come together, their different symbological genes will resonate, and it should be possible for them to utilize their powers. Beyond this, they must learn control by applying their powers in combat. I planning to talk to the children directly when the time comes, but if something should happen to me, please, whoever is watching this video, let them know. I apologize for asking this of you, but there is a great deal at stake,'" he asked and bowed. "'What we did was inhumane and forbidden by Federation law. We could never apologize enough to our children, the subjects of these experiments. Did we do the right thing? This is a question I find myself unable to answer. I'm sure we'll find out when the final day of judgment arrives. If the children choose annihilation—not to use their powers—then so be it. These powers belong to the children, and it is up to them to decide how to use them…'" There was a brief silence as the young doctor began to say one last thing. "'Finally, I have something I want to say to our children… I feel horrible for making you bear this heavy burden. I will not ask for your forgiveness. I only ask that you choose your own path. Think, decide, act for yourselves. Even if you choose to fight, even if you choose to accept annihilation. That is all we, your self-indulgent parents, desire from you. We love you.'" The video was turned off and the group was silent.

Everyone is the room was silent. No one could believe what they just heard. "Why us?" Sophia asked.

"I think it had to be us. They believed we could do it…" Fayt said.

"I gotta be honest, I still don't really understand what's going on. But it's obvious our parents left the future in our hands."

"Our genes have determined our destinies," Maria said.

"That might have been true until now, but like my dad said, the choice is in our hands now."

"You're right."

"Time to take it up with the big guy, know what I'm sayin'?" Cyrus said. Fayt nodded.

"We're going?" Cliff asked.

"To the planet Styx!" Fayt replied.

"Alright!" Peppita said excitedly. Cyrus only smiled in response. With nothing further to do, they left the lab and arrived back upstairs.

* * *

Author's Note 2: If the Divine Avenger is different than how I described it, I'm sorry. I haven't really obtained the weapon, so I kinda used the sword that was shown on the box.

* * *

Part 17.2: One-Winged Angel

As the group walked from the lab, Cyrus stopped in front of the group in silence. "What's wrong, Cyrus?" Peppita asked.

The young swordsman was silent for a moment. Then he turned to his comrades and sighed. "This seems like a good a time as any," he said.

"What do you mean?" Sophia asked.

"I have a confession to make... I'm not really from around here, per say... It's just..."

"Come on, spit it out," Cliff said in a bored tone.

"I'm trying to figure out how to say it, homes!" Cyrus hissed.

"Sca-ree..."

Cyrus closed his eyes and put his hands in his pockets. "I'm a–" Cyrus was cut off as he saw a quick shadow sweep pass him. "Oh crap..." he quickly recovered. "My ghetto senses are tingling."

"You're acting weird, Cyrus," Peppita said.

"No, it's comin' and fast."

Suddenly, a loud cackle was heard. "I think 'IT' has already arrived," a voice said behind Cyrus. The group turned their attention to the source. Standing behind Cyrus was his infamous clone, Stratus. He stood with a smug smile and folded arms. He also had one new distinguishing feature. On the right side of his back, closed up, was a feathered wing, one that was similar to a bird. It was white, however, the lower feathers were covered in blue.

"Is that a Featherfolk?" Sophia asked. "It looks a lot like Cyrus!"

"Not even close," Cliff replied. "That's his clone. But what's with the wing."

"The dark energy in his body must've manifested in him the same way it did me!" Cyrus exclamed.

"Dark energy?" Fayt said in confusion.

"We'll get back to that later."

"Oh my, Cyrus," Stratus said in a casual voice. "It's been so long."

"Really? The last time we met was the other day."

"Ah yes. I remember now! Time does fly when you collect souls. The last battle turned out with me kicking the ass of both you and that wench, Mel was it?" he insulted wryly.

"You better watch it," Nel hissed.

"Who are you?" Peppita asked cautiously.

"Why, I am Stratus M. Slicer. You and that big eyed one are new additions to this bunch I see. But there's no need to take on weaklings."

"What is it you want!" Cliff demanded.

"Of course, so silly of me. I'm here for some unfinished business." He glanced at Maria who responded with wide-eyes. "Though I have been busy for a while, that doesn't mean I forgot my original objective. You see, Lystara sees you as a problem... a pest, if you will. In order to eradicate such an issue, you would call an exterminator, so she called me. But don't worry, fair Traydor. As soon as I'm done destroying you, I shall take your soul, where it will be put to good use in Ms. Catalysta's plans."

"You bastard," Maria growled. "You will never take my soul, or anyone else's."

"Now, now, be nice. Since I'm in a good mood, you're death shall be quick and painless."

Cyrus moved in front of Maria as Stratus walked toward her. "Look you Sephiroth wanna-be, if you want to get to her, you'll have to go through me first."

"Oh, fair hero wishes to be the gallant knight of old? I guess you haven't learned from the last time, my ingrate for an original."

"I'm no one's ingrate, bitch. And no one threatens my homies without messin' with me first."

Stratus chuckled. "I'll admit, you are admirable. However, if you couldn't win before, than what makes you think you'll win now?"

"We'll see."

"And he's not going at it alone," Maria said as she and Nel ran up to each side of Cyrus.

"As long as we're here, you and Lystara will never succeed," Nel said.

Stratus scoffed. "I'll be done with you three soon enough. And you know somethin', this is a lucky day. I'll be collected three for the price of one!" With that said, the clone laughed and spread his light wing.

"We'll see about that, son!" Cyrus said.

"Whatever you guys are thinking of, it won't help you. I am a god! My powers are the gift of the heavens! You cannot defeat me!"

"Whatever," Maria scoffed.

"You know, I'll tell you what," Stratus replied as he began to make his deal. "If you are somehow able to defeat me, I shall transfer my energy back to you, Cyrus and you shall keep the souls of your comrades. However, if I win, I will take, not only your souls, but your powers, as well. Also, your comrades will be destroyed, too."

"Hey!" Peppita shouted. "That's not nice!" As soon as Stratus set his gaze on the Velbaysian, the fairy guide quickly hid behind Fayt. The clone was not looking for lessons in etiquette.

"You will never beat us," Maria said. "As long as we're still here, you have no chance of victory."

"Or so you say. To bad it will be the last thing you say."

Cyrus, Maria and Nel ran to the platform the clone stood on. Unfortunately, the rest of the group was blocked out by something. "What the-?" Cliff said in surprise. "There's something blocking our way!"

"What?" Fayt replied.

"That's it!" Cyrus yelled as he drew out his bastard sword. "I guess it's only us three!"

"It seems so," Nel said as she took her battle position.

"It's time to kick it, ol' schoo' style!" Cyrus shouted.

"Then let us begin," Stratus said as he pulled out his bastard sword and went into a defensive position.

Cyrus turned his MP3 Player to "Flipside" by Freeway and Peedi Crakk. He then sprouted his bat-like wing and used Power Up on Maria and Nel. Maria used her Power Up on Cyrus and Protection on herself and everyone in the group. Cyrus attacked first and used Nel's long ranged attack. He spun like a horizontal frisbee straight at Stratus, but the attack was stopped as both opponent's swords clashed. Cyrus was still in mid-air when the two made contact. Stratus knocked Cyrus off by creating a powerful gust with one flap of the god-like being's wing. The shizznit slammed to the ground. As Stratus prepared to use his Light Beam in the palm of his hand which was aimed straight for Cyrus' face. Luckily for the "original" gangster, the clone was shot by Maria's Scatter Beam. The copy flinched, and the beam misfired. Stratus turned to Maria and sped to the leader of Quark in a quick glide that was too fast to be seen. She reached her in a matter of seconds and before Maria could even gasp Stratus struck at the shooter with his bastard sword. Nel tried to slash quickly at the clone, but the clone was faster and blocked the attack. The two locked eyes and Stratus gave a smug smile. He kicked Nel in the stomach, causing her to bend over. However, Nel took used this as an advantage and unleashed her Ice Daggers. Stratus fell back and slammed to the ground. Nel tried to finish it off with a quick downward stab, but Stratus spun his legs up in the air, injuring Nel in the process, kicked back up. He took this opportunity to use his Times Up. In a drunk-like fashion, the clone spun the disoriented Crimson Blade. Then he gave a quick jab with a back handed fist to the face. Stratus then brung Nel hard on his knee, causing her to hold her face in pain and stagger back. He finished her off with a strong, open-palmed shove, sending Nel flying backward to a considerable distance. Nel was down and too weak to get up, but she still tried to get back on her two feet. Cyrus and Maria saw the event and their faces were stunned. Stratus slowly stalked the injured Nel like a lion on a gazelle. His blue eyes gave off a terrible gleam and his smile was as smug as ever. Nel looked up, at the clone. Though she, like the rest of her comrades, were in fear, neither one of them showed it. Cyrus quickly got up and began to cast a Healing spell on Nel. However, Stratus saw what his counterpart was planning and quickly charged at him. His used a hard overhand slash, which cancelled out the symbological skill. Stratus slashed once again, but the move was blocked by Cyrus' wing. Cyrus reopened his wing, causing the clone to be pushed back. Stratus recovered quickly and prepared his Ice Needles. In seconds, a flurry of frozen spikes flew at Cyrus in high speeds. The dark colored swordsman spun his blade in the path of the attack, deflecting each small icicle. Maria began to kick at the clone, scoring a few hits and knocking him to the ground. Stratus rose up and brushed himself off of the dusk. He looked up and smirked. Maria looked was shocked as the clone stood unscathed. Then Stratus quickly rushed, ready to give a quick slash. He was about to deliver the blow, that was until Cyrus shoved Maria out of the way. He ended up in the path of the attack and was dealt a powerful blow. By the end of the assault, Cyrus crashed to the ground and rolled on impact. In the process, the swordsman also broke his wing. Nel and Maria hurried to the him. "Cyrus!" Maria called as he shook his body. "Please speak to me!"

Cyrus slowly opened his red eyes at the two women. "Ma-Maria..." he said weakly. "Hey... What's up...?"

"You're going to be okay," she said in a concerned tone. "Hang in there..."

"You guys got to get out of here...!"

"We won't leave you," Nel reassured.

"But-!"

"We promised that we would help you stop Stratus. We won't rest until he's destroyed."

Cyrus was silent. "Please Cyrus, don't go!" Maria said.

"I'm not gone yet..."

"Isn't this a cute picture," Stratus said in a suave tone. "As much as I hate to interrupt, it's time to say good-bye."

"Never!" Nel yelled.

"You're history," Maria shouted as she and Nel rushed at the clone. Stratus stood and smirked. Both women began to attack in quick movements. Unfortunately, nearly every shot they launched, the clone only deflected back at them. With every hit and kick, the clone dodged or blocked and then counterattacked.

Cyrus watched in fear as his comrades were getting taken out by the minute. _"This... this can't be happening!" _he thought. _"Nel... Maria..."_

"_Use it..."_ a voice in his head called out. It sounded like Luther's.

_"Huh?"_

_"You have no choice but to use it."_

_"Luther?"_

_"If you want to save yourself, then use the disk."_ Cyrus checked his pocket. Lucky for him, the disk was inside. He pulled it out and started slowly rose to his feet.

Nel and Maria were tired and wet, unable to get up as Stratus already used his Water Cyclone Flash. "Any last words?" Stratus asked, ready to finish them off.

"Noooooo!" Fayt yelled.

Then, everyone had on shocked expressions on their faces. Stratus himself was curious as to what everyone was staring at. He turned around and saw Cyrus. Standing on tired legs, the shizznit started to lift his sword, which was now as heavy as hell. "Give in, Cyrus," Stratus said in a bored tone. "The annihilation of yourself and your comrades is eminent. You can't resist fate."

"Fate is one thing... biyatch!" Cyrus snapped. "But destiny is another... And it ain't over... until the dark one raps, son!" With his last ounce of strength, Cyrus swung his sword and slammed it into the ground. Then he implanted the disk on the center of the guard. In moments, he felt his body was feeling a burning sensation. He was somehow healed and his wing opened wide, as if it weren't broken at all. His eyes turned a darker red and his dark power, emanating from his blade, concealed him as well. The tails of his trench coat had rose and waved backward, as if there was a strong wind. During this time, Cyrus' blade started to change form. The blade was large and wavy; colored in black, but with a red line running in the middle. The hilt became a red diamond. The sides of the guard weren't straight, but formed bat-like wings. As soon as the transformation took place, Cyrus was rejuvenated, though he breathed heavily from the rush. He felt that his power had grown. Yet, the only thing that changed was his blade as he pulled it out of the ground.

The entire group was silent. Stratus, however knew that something was going on. He clapped his hands and smiled. "Bravo Cyrus, what a light show," the clone applauded. "I see that your abilities somehow grew. And you have a new sword." He turned back to the tired women who stared back, rage filled their eyes and revenge was on their minds. "I'll take care of you two later. Right now, I shall cleanse existence of this rebel." With that being said, Stratus charged Cyrus in quick speeds. Shockingly however, Cyrus raised his sword in time to block the hit. "I see that your reactions have heightened, too. This should be interesting."

"I'll get you back for what you've put us through, nark!" The battle was face-paced and intense, too fast for the trained eye to see. The two warriors gave used all moves they had. Slashes, hits and kicks were being exchange and blocked, symbological powers were bounced back and forth. After a few minutes, the two stood on opposing sides of the field and began using their attacks, Blazing Tempest Flare and Water Cyclone Flash. As soon as the skills met, the platform was shrouded in steam caused by the two attributes clashing. Cyrus still felt his power growing. Both the original and the cloned swordsmen were weakened, and knew it was time for a coup-de-gras. The two back flipped a couple of feet and tapped into their the powers of light and dark. Like two were shrouded in their attributes like flames on candles. After gathering their energy, the two used Shining Strike and Shadow Slash. They came at one another like high speed bullets and it seemed they had just passed by one another. They only heard a loud clang that broke the sound barrier only seconds after they stopped at the end of their paths. They stood still, as if time itself froze. Everyone watched Cyrus in suspense, hoping the young shizznit was still living. After minutes of gasping, the two gave each other slight chuckles, but they didn't turn around.

"I see now..." Stratus said. "I see why... why your skills grew. Not just by the item... but by your rage and... your passion... It is what fueled you..."

"Yes..." Cyrus said in agreement. "But it wasn't just that... If it weren't for Maria and Nel... or the others... I would never 've gotten... this far..."

"This was... the greatest battle... I have been in... in a while..."

"Same here..."

"You've fought... honorably, Cyrus... I guess... this is farewell..."

"Yes... so long, Stratus..." With that said, the two turned toward each other withdrew their swords. The two crashed to the ground at the same time. Nel and Maria healed themselves and rushed to Cyrus. Fayt and the rest of the gang scurried over as soon as the force field lowered. Cyrus was bruised, scratched and motionless. Maria used the scanner on him, and saw he had serious injury. He was breathing, but only weakly. "It can't be..." Sophia said. "... Cyrus..."

"He was cocky, but strong and independent," Cliff said.

Stratus' body began to glow. "Now what?" Peppita yelped as he saw the event. Everyone else noticed the phenomenon and took battle positions. Something unexpected occurred, however. His form and changed in the form of a light blue orb of energy. It hovered in front of the group and then darted over Cyrus. The orb lowered itself over Cyrus and inserted in the shizznit's chest. As soon as it did, Cyrus began to breathe heavily, trying to catch air.

"Is he...?" Fayt was starting to ask.

"Vital signs are stabilizing, his injuries are healing at a steady rate," Maria read on her scanner.

"Cyrus..."

Cyrus slowly opened his eyes and sat up. "Man, I'm gettin' too old fo' this," Cyrus said in a tired tone as he held his forehead. "Someone get the menthols while I turn on the D-O double Gizzle." He quickly turned his MP3 Player to "The Shizznit" by Snoop Dogg.

"I don't understand what he just said!" Cliff said with a glad, yet skeptic look.

"He's alive!" Peppita exclaimed happily.

"Cyrus..." Nel was at lost of words.

"It's good to see you're back," Maria said.

"Glad to be back," Cyrus replied. "You guys okay?"

"We'll be fine," Fayt said.

"Good. After all, you are the guys to save this universe."

"Right."

"Let's get back to Commodore Wittcomb," Sophia suggested.

"Yeah," Cliff agreed. "The sooner we leave, the better."

"I know of a place where we can get some equipment," Peppita said.

"Alright," Fayt said. "Let's hurry."

The group went back to the Recreational Zone and followed Peppita to the bar near the northwest entrance. Standing behind the desk, stood Private First Class Federation soldier. Peppita walked over and greeted the official. "Hello, Leon," she said.

"Hello Peppita," the man replied. "Good to see you." He took a look at the group that traveled with her. "Do you know these people? Are they your friends?"

"Yeah, that's right. The good looking one is Fayt. The there's... Um, the big one is Cliff, the cute one is Sophia, and the pretty one is Maria. The cool one is Nel and the shady one is Cyrus. Anyway. I have a teeny-weeny favor to ask you, Leon. Can you lend us some things?" she asked in an innocent voice.

"Some things...?" the soldier thought. Then it hit him. "Wait, you can't possibly mean..."

"That's right, the stuff you're storing here."

"You've got to be joking!" shouted a scholar who was guarding the door in front of them. "I can't allow it. The weapons here are our last line of defense. We can't just hand them over to youngsters who don't even know the weapons' potential!"

"Wow," Cyrus whispered to Nel.

"So there are more than one Lasselles in the universe," the spy whispered back.

"I mean, I appreciate what the Rossetti Troupe has done for us, but this is a completely different matter."

"All right, then what are you planning on doing?" Peppita asked. "Are you going to just stay here forever? Unless someone beats those Executioner meanies, nothing's gonna change!"

"We know that. But we have to hang onto these weapons just in case we need them to protect ourselves. If you take them away, what are we supposed to do when they come knocking on our door? You're telling us all to just die!"

"I didn't say that! I mean... You've been lucky so far. So far, right? But there's no guarantee that you'll be able to defend this place forever. If you just hide out here, eventually they'll get you."

"The Federation military will do something. Fighting and other such barbarism should be left to the soldiers, anyway. Isn't that what the military is for, after all? Emergencies like this?"

"That's true. I won't deny it," Leon said.

"Leon!" Peppita shouted.

Leon who was reluctant at first, felt that there was no choice. "All right, Peppita. I'll unlock the storeroom in back. I'll take full responsibility for this, so if you see something you think you can use, just go ahead and take it."

"Yahoo! Thank you!" the Velbaysian danced and cheered.

"What'?" the scholar responded. "What do you think you're doing? Haven't you been listening?"

"Yes, I have," Leon replied. "It's exactly as you said. Fighting is supposed to be the job of soldiers like me. And I have a responsibility to protect everyone. But the way things stand, I don't see any way the situation will turn around for the better. So instead of leaving the weapons lying around, what's wrong with them using them to try and improve things, even if only a little?"

"What if they get themselves killed because of what you're doing? Or even, what if the Executioners attack us here while they've got all the weapons? Are you saying you're going to protect us?"

"Of course I'll fight. That is my duty. Event though I see no possibility of victory, I will lay down my life to protect everyone here. Let me ask you something, Professor... How many people do you think we have here who can actually use those weapons? Unless a person is trained in the use of those new weapon models, they are as good as useless. If you really want to be next to the latest weaponry so badly, why don't you pick up a weapon and fight by their side?"

The professor huffed at the idea. "...Crazy!" he snapped. "Out of the question!" Knowing he was beaten, the scholar walked away from the door.

"All right then, everyone. Please, take the weapons from the storeroom right over there."

"Thank you," Peppita said.

"Don't mention it. After all, our fate lies with you guys now." The group went next door and began equipping themselves.

Cyrus was polishing his new sword with Maria standing over him. "So, what are you going to call it?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"It's only wise to name a new weapon. There aren't many kinds of swords like that."

"You're right..." Cyrus began to think as he polished the black blade. "I think I'll name it... the Abysmal Offender. It's short, shady and has a nice ring to it."

"I guess." Maria was quiet. Cyrus knew what was wrong and stood up. "You want to know what I was going to say earlier, don't you."

"It sounded important."

"Indeed." Cyrus began to think on how he was to say it. "Alright everyone, here's the truth. I'm a 4D Being."

Everyone in the room was silent. "Are you playing around again," Cliff asked.

"If only, G. And I'll tell you how I got here, homies." Cyrus told them everything about how he came into this dimension. He told them about the dimensional rip and his reason for being. He was sure to leave out the parts of this being a game and Luther or what was going to happen next.

"So you're a sophomore in 4D Being from a time and space similar to Earth of 2005?" Sophia replied.

"Yep."

"And you came here accidentally through a dimensional vortex?" Fayt asked.

"Fo' rizzle."

"And you say you're here to stop Lystara Catalysta, the girl we saw before?" Nel asked.

"Damn, straight."

"Do you really think we're supposed to believe that?" Cliff asked.

"To tell you the truth... nope."

"So how come you didn't tell us before?" Maria asked.

"Not tryin' to get heavy or anythin', but how would you act if someone said, 'Hey I'm from a parallel dimension.' Cliff had already gave us the response. Then to top it all off, you're being chased through the galaxy by some space sharks and crash on a midi-evil world full of magic, crazed swordsman, giant lizard and hot babes. No offense," he said to Nel. The Aquarian put her hand on her forehead she could not stop counting how many times she heard words close to "hot babe" or "hot chick."

"You do make a good argument," Fayt said. "But I guess we wouldn't have made it if you didn't come in the first place."

"Nah, of course you would. But the difference is that it would've taken longer."

"It doesn't really matter now. 4D Being or not, you're part of our party. You've been a big help."

"And because of you're aid on our travels, we'll also support you against Catalysta," Nel said.

"Thanks you guys."

"No sweat," Peppita said.

"If we all pitch in, nothing will stand in our way," Sophia said.

"You're right, Sophia," Cyrus said. Everyone in the room was quiet for that moment.

"Well, I think we should go." Cliff said with a shrug, breaking the silence.

"Yeah. I think we're falling behind schedule." The group left the storeroom and began to leave.

The group knew it was time to say good-bye to a certain fairy guide. "...Peppita. We have to say good-bye here," Fayt said.

"Whaaaat? NO! I don't wanna!" she cried.

"Don't throw a tantrum… Okay?" Sophia said as she approached the whimpering young one.

"But everyone else is going! I wanna go, too!"

"Yes, but from there we're going on into 4D space," Fayt said.

"To fight the Creator, right?"

"Yeah, because if we don't, everything will end," Maria quoted.

"Then I wanna fight, too! I don't want everything to end! Everyone's fighting but me! Don't leave me all alone here!"

"But the journey will be perilous and filled with uncertainty," Cyrus said. "There's a chance we'll land in the 4D Space where even I never existed."

"Yeah, well, but everyone's still going anyway."

"That's right," Fayt said.

"Go back to your parents," Maria said sternly. "This is serious. Where we're going is no place for children."

"That's a little harsh…" Sophia replied.

"But it's true. A child that doesn't know what she's getting into will only slow us down."

"She has a good point," Cyrus said.

"Cyrus!" Sophia said in shock.

"Let's think, lack of inexperience equals disaster."

Peppita was silent. "You know, the Circus Master…isn't really my dad. My real dad's a soldier in the Pangalactic Federation. That's what my mom told me, before she died. He's a brave, brave soldier, and he's worked his whole life to protect people. My mom always said I take after him."

"Peppita..." Fayt was at loss of words.

"Miss Maria, if we don't defeat the Creator, everything's gonna end, right?"

"Yes."

"I don't really understand the hard stuff, but… I think I understand what we gotta do. I wanna go. I have to save the Circus Master, and Ursus, and all the rest… I know what I'm getting into, I

don't care if I die trying! Please…take me with you!"

"Hold up, Peppita," Cyrus replied. "I care about your life."

"Huh?"

"Peppita, you just said that you would throw down your own life for the continuation of others, no matter what the issue. Still, I like your determination. I would like it for you to come with us. Fayt, what do you think?"

"I care about your life, too," the blue-haired swordsman replied. "But if your going to come with us, you have to want to live. Do you understand? Never say anything like that again."

"What?" Peppita asked, not believing what she heard.

"You two can't mean..." Maria said.

"We're not going there to die," Fayt spoke. "We're going there to live… Understand?"

Peppita giggled. "... Yes!"

"Now that's the Rossetti we know," Cyrus replied.

Nel knew that this new member, though young and a little reckless, would be a good choice. "What can yah do?" Cliff asked rhetorically.

"But you have to get the Circus Master's permission first," Fayt said.

"You ain't goin' without an okay on this field trip," Cyrus added.

"Huhhh?" was the only response Peppita had.

"Yeah. He must be really worried about you," Sophia said.

"Okay?" Fayt said.

"Well, all right," she agreed. "I'll go ask him." Peppita walked back to the auditorium and talked to Piccolotto. In a few minutes, she walked back with the report. "I'm back! He said I could go! All right, everyone… Let's move out." The group left the station, with their new comrade Peppita and arrived at the Aquaelie via transport room.

* * *

Author's Note 3: You know, I'm wondering if Maria's personality in this story is as it should be. Need some feedback. Also, just because Peppita's part of the team, doesn't mean the others won't meet up with them. Also, expect to new faces joining with Cyrus and the gang. Though, they will appear pretty soon...

* * *


	19. Chapter 18

* * *

Author's Note 1: Hey everyone, I know that my delay was longer than usual. The reason was because of school and other stuff, such as the opening of my DeviantArt site that is under the name of Panzerraptor too. Also, October 25 was my birthday and now I'm finally sixteen. But enough of the excuses, it's time for results. 

I have decided to push my deadline by February 2006 because I found out that Kingdom Hearts II is released on March of next year. (Don't worry, it won't take that long to complete this story or its sequel). Also, since I'm almost finished with this tale, I'm going to start changing some of the lines of the script starting on Part 18.2. The major factors and some of the original lines will be there, but it's altered nonetheless. And for you lovers of Peppita and Sophia, they'll will be more lines! Another welcome change (I'm such a nice person). And there is also some more comedy from OCC (Original Character Cyrus. I would put down 'Gangsta', but I'm pretty sure saying that would cause some controversy somewhere).

* * *

Part 18.1: Let's go to Styx

The crew walked to the bridge of the ship and saw Commodore Wittcomb, still monitoring the situation. "We're back, Commodore," Fayt said.

"What took so long?" the commodore asked. "Any interference from the Executioners?"

"Yeah, but they weren't too much of a problem," Cyrus said.

"Indeed. Glad to have you back safely. But first things first. Did you find out anything?"

"We did," Fayt said. "There was a secret file concealed in my father's database."

"Is that so?"

"My name and genetic profile were the keywords," Maria replied.

"I see… That explains why we could not find anything. What was in the file?"

"The identity of these mysterious creatures that are attacking the galaxy and the Earth," Fayt said.

"Go on..."

"They're the emissaries of 'the Creator.'"

"So you're saying it IS the Creator? Nonsense…"

"I don't blame you for being skeptical, but that's what my father believed."

"I suppose after seeing what they look like and their capabilities, I would believe that, too."

"What they look like?" Cliff asked.

"I'm afraid so," the commodore answered. "On screen." The monitor began displaying the previous shots and data of the executioners. The entire group was stunned. "Yes, based on their size, it's easy to see that they surpass Federation battleships in offensive and defensive capabilities as well as speed. It's no wonder some call them gods. We have little chance against them."

"Commodore, we need to travel to the planet Styx, where we can enter a realm known as 4D space, where the Creator resides," Fayt explained. "According to my father, it's a different dimension than ours, so time won't progress at the same time as it does here. In fact, the concept of time itself will not apply in 4D space. We're hoping that once we're there, we'll find some way to defeat the Creator and save us all."

"But isn't there a possibility that by defeating the Creator, you will also destroy his creation and all of us with it?"

"I don't think that'll be a problem," Maria said. "In fact, I believe defeating the Creator will free us from his hand and enable us to live in absolute freedom."

"That's right…" Fayt replied in agreement. "And my father gave us the power to do just that."

"I see…" Commodore Wittcomb said. "Then we'll set course for the planet Styx. I fear the trip won't be easy."

"Yes. The enemy has already reached our final line of defense. It is only a matter of time until they breach it."

"Oh no," Sophia replied in despair.

"Then they can't afford to lose the Aquaelie, the Federation's most advanced ship," Fayt said. "We'll go on the Diplo and—"

"Impossible," Commodore Wittcomb interrupted. "The Diplo would never make it through enemy territory and reach the planet. Even the Aquaelie alone is no match for such a foe. I can't allow you to risk your lives when there is no hope of success."

"Commodore—"

"The Executioners are moving against our final line of defense!" shouted a report from Lieutenant Fields. Outside, large red orbs appeared in a flash of light behind the last of the Federation battleships. Unable to react, the vessels were consumed by the attacks. Meanwhile, the larger Enforcers glided around the attack and began launching powerful blasts at the Earth. Though the planetary defense was raised at max, it was no match for the incoming barrage of powerful blasts. Every strike made by the giant Enforcers weakened the shields greatly.

"This can't be happening," a shocked Sophia said.

"I can't believe it either," Cyrus said. He knew that this wasn't the Earth he came from, but nonetheless, it was still the planet he knew. It was also the planet where some of his comrades came from. It was only minutes that the sphere that held life was slowly engulfed by the expanding red balls of chaos, death and misery. Their world was now as lifeless as the other surrounding planets of the Sol System.

"Calculate a course for evading their attack!" Commodore Wittcomb commanded. "Once we are out of the combat zone, proceed to Styx at max warp!"

"Yes, sir!" Lieutenant Fields complied. He quickly typed in the commands on his keyboard and found a safe route. "Course calculated! 112654.774!"

"Good! Get us out of the combat zone, top speed!"

"Yes, sir!" With that said, the Aquaelie warped from the Executioners and the Earth that had just been destroyed. They were now on route to the next planet, Styx. "No enemies detected in present area."

"Right. Looks like we've escaped them for now." The commodore turned his attention back to Fayt and his group. "You all should get a little more rest," he suggested.

"...Okay," Fayt replied. Still traumatized by the onslaught that just occurred, Fayt returned in his room, silent.

Cyrus walked in and saw the shape his comrade was in. "Hey, homes..." he said. The blue-haired teen didn't respond. "Look, I know you're still bummed out. And let's be real, it hit us all hard. But we got to keep focus."

"How are you in remorse?" Fayt hollered. "It's not like you actually came from here, so why would you care?"

"Look, home G," Cyrus hissed. "Remember, I'm also from Earth. If this happened to my world in my own plain of existance, I would feel the same way. In fact, where I'm from, my world is already falling apart because of power and famine."

"Yeah, but—"

"There is no 'buts'. No matter how you're lookin' it's still the same. But right now, we have to look past the crazy shit that's goin' on. There's always a solution. And that solution is you, Maria and Sophia." Fayt moaned and sat down. "I understand what's up, but we need to focus on a plan right now."

"... Right. First things, first. We need to get to Styx. Only then will can we do anything else."

"Now that's what I'm talkin' about," Cyrus cheered. "Sure, it's more of a layout, but it's progress."

"Thanks."

"No prob. But I think you should go to Sophia. She seemed intent on somethin'."

"I guess." With that said, Fayt walked out of the room.

The dark shizznit only shrugged from what had occurred. _"He's a cool kid," _he thought. _"A little high-strung and edgy, but cool." _He left the room and went to Nel's quarters. When he arrived, the shizznit found the woman looking out her window, staring into the vast vacuum of space. "Hey," Cyrus said as he entered the room.

"Oh Cyrus!" she said, half shocked. She turned around and faced her young comrade. "I didn't expect to see you."

"Yeah, well, you know. So, what's up?"

"Nothing. I just can't believe it. Your planet... Destroyed in a few seconds! If they can do that to your world, than how can we stop such a foe?"

"We'll try. We'll go to 4D space and stop those monsters."

"Yes. But isn't that your universe?" Nel asked suspiciously. "In some ways, it's no different from Daemonium."

"Daemonium?"

"Daemonium is a universe of demons and other entities," Nel explained. "There, the spirit is able to take on physical form."

"I see. So it's almost like the living afterlife?" Nel gave a slight nod. "You don't need to worry about that. The last time I checked, I'm pure matter. Nothin' here but atoms, fluids and solids all the way, know what I'm sayin'."

"I understand." She turned around and looked back in space. "Tell me, what was your world like."

"My world was bangin'! We got games, guns, girls. But it was nothin' compared to what I'm experiencin' here!" Cyrus then died down his enthusiasm as he began to look down memory lane. "However, I do wonder what's goin' on in my hood. What are my home boys up to? Are my parents okay? What new discovery did my dad uncover? Why did the chicken cross the road?"

"A little home sick, I see," Nel said. Cyrus was quiet. "I understand that it isn't just our universe in peril. Stratus said that Lystara was also after your's too, if I'm not mistaken."

"That's correct."

"I still don't understand what's going on here, or why all this is happening, but I do know that you need our help as much as we need yours."

"You're right on the mark. Who cares if it's the 'Creator' of this universe or whatever. I say bring it on. We can take whatever's thrown our way."

"All other worlds depend on us succeeding," Nel agreed.

"Don't worry," Cyrus said as he walked beside Nel. "We won't go down so easily. You can count on that." Nel nodded in response and the two looked out at the empty space. "Well, it's gettin' late." Cyrus yawned. "Then again, who's to say."

"I have a feeling that by the time we wake up, we won't be to far from Planet Styx."

"Perhaps. Well, chow then." Cyrus left Nel's room and went back to his own quarters. As always, he put on his earphones and went to sleep. Unfortunately, he wasn't going to have a quiet night.

Cyrus found himself back in the strange part of his subconsciousness, again. He wandered around the space and looked in all directions, not knowing what he was searching for.

"_Dark warrior of another existence," _a cryptic feminine voice said. Cyrus looked around as he listened to this strange message. _"Fighter of black wings and the blade of the dark abyss. Thou soul burns as hot as a sweltering fire. Thy power is strong, but not complete. Thy dark impulses are only balanced by light desires. Yet for how long? Thou destiny is uncertain, fate inconclusive. He is thy chosen one, but of what legacy? Is his purpose to rebel against infinite power, or to bend thy will to insurmountable might?"_

He saw an unknown light. Through curiosity, the young shizznit walked toward the enigmatic luminescence. He was a few feet away from the source, until the glow expanded. Cyrus covered his face as the event made his eyes feel like they were burning. The light dimmed and the swordsman peeked at the result. What he saw surprised him.

Standing where the explosion occurred, the young boy saw the shape and form of Lystara Catalysta. She levitated only a few inches from the surface. Her tails of her trench coat swayed rapidly in the wind. Her short hair rustled back. Her smile was ever so smug. Cyrus stood with a face of awe and rage. "Well, Cyrus," she started. "It's good to see you again."

"Catalysta!" he growled. "Why are you here?"

"I've just come to say that I'm impressed. It's not everyday now that my most powerful creation, imbued with powers of a celestial being, was destroyed by the mere hands of a rapper."

Cyrus pulled out his Abysmal Offender. "So you came here to say you were prepossessed?" he asked, pointing his sword at the girl. "And that 'celestial being' was myself!"

"Yes, that is true. And you should consider it an honor that I have done such. Not just because you defeated Stratus, that you are in the audience of divinity. As I have said, you are a unique specimen."

"Divinity?" Cyrus snorted. "Yeah right. You better tell me what you're here for! Now!" Cyrus' dark aura was now engulfing his blade as he tightened his grip on the sword.

"Remember that you are gifted with Stratus' strength. In order for you to have, even the slightest chance to defeat me, you need to harness his power."

"You haven't answered me! Why would you tell me something like this?"

"Simple. I wish to challenge you."

"So now you want to fight?"

"Of course. I want to see how much your power grown."

"Yeah, yeah. Just come on," Cyrus said hastily. "Let's go!"

Lystara sprouted two bird like wings. Each were on one side of the body and both were considerable large. Cyrus sprouted his bat wing. Instead of one though, Cyrus had two, well developed wings. Lystara smiled. "I see that Stratus was kind enough to lend his energy to meld with your DNA. With that, your Dark Energy accelerated and caused another wing to form."

"Enough talk. I'm gonna take you down now!" Lystara pulled out her weapon. Instead of the sword she used before, the enemy pulled out a large scythe. The white blade was large and curved. Cyrus rushed at his opponent and slashed. However, Lystara blocked the attack as she held her weapon horizontally. She spun her scythe at Cyrus, creating winds that rival those of tornadoes. The swordsman was thrown back by the force generated by the attack and slammed to the ground. He picked himself up and stared at her with gritted teeth. The girl then spun the blade over her head and slammed it to the ground. A small fissure was coming toward Cyrus, splitting the land below. Cyrus started to fly just in time. Lystara flew above him and held her scythe in the left hand. With the other, a large light blue beam shot out of her hand. Cyrus quickly dived, barely missing the move. Cyrus quickly used Power Up and was beginning to deliver a powerful blow. However, Lystara moved out of the way and slashed at Cyrus with a quick strike, courtesy of the scythe's long reach. The shizznit knew that up here, he was outmatched. He lowered closer to the ground below with Lystara not far behind. During the chase, Cyrus began charging up a symbological attack. He managed to avoid most of the beams. In under a minute, Cyrus turned over to his back. Lystara saw the charged attack. Before she could do anything, the bat-winged swordsman launched two Fire Bolts at her. Both made impact on Lystara who staggered. Cyrus then made a quick slash, delivering more damage. Lystara quickly launched a beam straight at Cyrus' chest right after he struck. The shizznit was hurled back. Cyrus then felt a strange sensation in his hand. He looked at it and saw it glow a gold color. "What's... What's going on?" he asked himself. "Wait. Could this... be the power of Stratus?" The next thing Cyrus knew was that his body and sword were wrapped in a golden light. He then soared at Lystara at such a high speeds, he was but a blur. The move hit the divine being so hard, that she began plummeting to the ground. Cyrus was shocked. He had just performed the attack of his clone with success: Shining Strike. _"How the– What the hell?" _Just then, he saw a figure shoot back up into the sky. By the time he looked up, Cyrus saw Lystara and her scythe raised above him. "Oh shit..." he said as he knew he was unable to do anything. The weapon made a direct hit. Cyrus found himself on the ground in the middle of a huge crater. He climbed out of the large pit dragging his wings with the tails of his trench coat.

Lystara slowly lowered to the ground, wings folded around her body. "You have scored a few hits on me,"she said in contentment. "You're power has grown... for a thug." Cyrus growled. "I also see that you have started to unlock your potential. However, it's lacking the beauty and form for a challenge. Such a shame," Lystara said as she shook her head in disappointment. "Like I said, you need more training, young Splicer, but you're getting there..." With a stretch of his wings, Cyrus retracted the extra limbs back into his body. "Well, I'm off. Dimensions to remove, universes to destroy. I don't have the time for anymore of these trivialities. Perhaps I may make a visit to your world." Lystara blew Cyrus a kiss and then left through a small wormhole.

Cyrus looked to the ground, not believing what happened._ "I can't believe what happened," _he thought. _"Even with that combo I used, she didn't break a sweat. That don't matter now. I can't have this slip-up stop me. I need to find a way to shut her down. But still, I was able to use Shining Strike." _Cyrus then remembered the event that transpired back at Moonbase. How Stratus' energy had merged with Cyrus. _"Wait. Stratus said that he'd give me his power. If that's the case, then I may know more moves than just this!" _In a few hours, Cyrus was awoken by violent shaking. He woke up and wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth. "What the..." as his vision cleared, he saw the large head of Cliff Fittir. He responded in shock. "Whoa!"

"Mornin' to you, too," he said sarcastically.

"What's wrong, need advice on gettin' the chicks?" Cyrus asked as he adjusted his medallion.

"In your dreams."

"Don't tell me about dreams, G," Cyrus said with a tired look on his face. "So what's up?"

"Commodore Wittcomb wants us on the bridge. We've arrived near planet Styx."

"Good enough for me," Cyrus said as he quickly got his things. Cliff only shrugged his shoulders. The two made their way to the bridge. The other five members and the commodore awaited for their arrival.

"What happened?" Sophia asked Cliff.

"I found Sleeping Beauty still out like a light," he explained.

"Sorry, chronic sleeper. It's a B," Cyrus apologized.

"Commodore, 17 minutes to the planet Styx; we're picking up a strong energy reaction nearby," One of the operators said.

"The Executioners..." Commodore Wittcomb replied.

"I'm afraid so, sir," she complied.

The commodore sighed and turned his attention to Fayt and the rest of the group. His face was plastered in grim. "I am sorry, but it seems we will not be able to transport you down to the surface," he reported.

"You want us to give up?" Maria retorted.

"Please, I've said nothing of the sort," the commodore said in a calm tone. "You'll go to Styx by shuttle before the Aquaelie enters orbit."

"Commodore, what about you and your crew?" Fayt asked.

"That's already been decided. We will use the Aquaelie to lure the Executioners away from you."

"Wait, you're gonna go kamikaze for us?" Cyrus yelp.

"It's the only way. I apologize we are unable to take you all the way. But don't worry. We won't sit here helplessly waiting for our destruction. They shall face the greatest power the Federation has."

Fayt was about to say something, but Nel put her hand on his shoulder. Cyrus shook his head, but understood. "It seems it has been decided," Cyrus replied.

"The old man's right," Cliff said. "There's no other way."

"I'm afraid so..." Maria agreed.

Commodore Wittcomb bowed to the group. His last words he said were, "I wish you luck."

"We will succeed, Commodore," Fayt said. With that reply, the group rushed out of the bridge. They took the transporter to the escape shuttle known as the Calnus. They boarded the vehicle and abandoned the Aquaelie.

"Do you think they'll make it?" Peppita asked.

"I hate to say it," Cliff began, "but the odds don't look to be in their favor."

"And I do think he's talkin' statistics!" Cyrus said as he pointed to a small group of Enforcers that flew to the blue ship. The crew watched as the Aquaelie began firing multiple rounds of lasers. Unfortunately, the maneuverability of the enemies made them hard targets to lock on. As the Executioners pursued the ship, the vessel shot out a powerful beam from its Creation Cannons. It seemed that the Executioners were destroyed.

"Yes!" Peppita said. "Take that you meanies!"

Nel looked closer at the area and was shocked. "Wait!" she said. "One still remains!" Everyone gasped and had their eyes glued back out the window. Nel was right. There was still one more Enforcer remaining, and it wasn't happy. With all its strength, the Executioner shot out a beam which surrounded the Aquaelie with strange symbols. The group watched in horror and awe as the once blue ship became red and was starting the shrink. It only took one closed fist from the Enforcer for the Federation ship to disappear without a trace.

"Oh no..." Sophia said.

Maria tried scanning for the Aquaelie, but to no avail. "I'm no longer picking up the Aquaelie," she reported.

The group was silent and grieved for the crew of the ship that sacrificed themselves to give the group a chance to save the galaxy. "We've got a job to do before we mourn anyone!" Cliff advised. "I'll take us down to a point one kilometers away from the Time Gate. Here we go!" Cliff piloted the Calnus around Planet Styx's orbit. They transported down to the surface, about a few miles from their point destination.

When they arrived, the group saw the land swarming with Executioners. "Talk about crowded," Cyrus said with a straight face.

"They're everywhere, as I expected," Maria said. "Everyone ready?"

"Let's hurry to the Time Gate!" Fayt said.

"Yeah!" Sophia said in agreement.

"Leave it to me!" Cliff replied.

"I'm with ya!" Nel said.

"Right behind ya!" Peppita supported.

"Let's do this thang!" Cyrus replied as he turned his mp3 player to "Yellow Bream" by F-Fields.

The group rushed to the portal. Along the way, they faced many Executioners and other opponents, but prevailed against the odds. After the countless battles, and the many times they reached dead ends, the group arrived at the Time Gate. The artifact was huge; it was as tall as a three story building. "So this is the Time Gate," Fayt said as he studied the artifact.

"The gene of Connection," Maria pondered. "Sophia, Dr. Leingod said you have the genetic power to create a path through the Time Gate and into 4D space."

"Yeah, but I have no idea what I'm supposed to do…"

"Well, that's understandable," Cliff said.

"So we can't go?" Peppita asked.

"Don't look like it," Cyrus answered.

"I'm sorry..." Sophia said.

"Don't say that," Fayt said. "There's nothing to apologize for."

"But I'm letting you all down."

"Don't worry about it."

"If you say so."

"Seems that Sophia's powers are still takin' a snooze," Cyrus said.

"It appears so..." Maria said.

"Well, we won't get anything accomplished just standing around here; let's check out the gate," Fayt said.

"Good idea," Maria replied.

While most of the party check out the Time Gate, Fayt stayed to comfort Sophia. Cyrus, who was with the other members, looked up at the strange dimensional entrance. "Man," Cliff said. "If I didn't know any better, this would be the biggest door I've ever seen."

"Why it's so large?" Nel pondered.

Cyrus thought. "Hmm... Passage from one dimension to another would cause far too much distortion if it were compact. Maybe because of the large size, the Time Gate is somehow able to stabilize some of the subatomic matter created by the fluctuations."

"Is that so?" Peppita asked.

"Perhaps. I'm just makin' a guess. Tell you the truth, I kinda skipped that part on T.V. 'cause I was too busy watchin' some Lil' Jon music videos. Long live the King of Crunk."

"The King of Crunk?" Nel asked. "Is that the name of a monarch in your world?"

"Umm... In some way, substance and effect... yeah."

"Riiight," Cliff said. "Anyways, I wonder what makes this hunk of junk work." Just then, the ground began to rattle violently. The Time Gate than began moving one of its frames. "It moves!" Cliff said in surprise. In the frames, the Time Gate began activating, showing different planets and all kinds of information.

Maria hushed the confused Klausian and said, "This is how it normally operates."

Behind them, they heard a low moan. "What is it?" Fayt asked.

They turned and saw Sophia's nursing her arm which was creating a strange energy. "My hand... It's hot..." she said. Suddenly, the energy became stronger and more apparent. "What's happening… I don't understand…" With one loud scream, a sudden burst of power projected from her hand and barely missed Cyrus' head. It hit the Time Gate and caused a small ripple. Fayt rushed over to her to see if she was alright.

"What was that?" Nel said in confusion.

Maria and Cyrus watched as the an image was slowly coming into clear view. "The Time Gate... it's..." Maria was at lost of words.

"Holy hizzle..." Cyrus gasped. The Time Gate showed a large futuristic city with a strange building.

"What the hell is that?" Cliff asked.

"Very strange," Peppita commented.

"That's…that's 4D space…" Maria said in disbelief.

"It might be," Fayt replied.

"It is," Sophia agreed.

"How do you know?" Cliff asked.

"I don't know why, but I can sense it," Maria answered. "Yes… This is 4D space."

"Yeah… I can sense it, too," Fayt said.

"Something deep down inside is telling me that, too," Sophia said.

"How about you Cyrus?" Peppita asked Cyrus who stood on the platform looking at the image. "You say you're a 4D Being, right? Then is this it?"

Cyrus had a serious look on his face. "It me be a parallel to my home..." he began, "...but it's my turf nonetheless." Cyrus turned around and face the group. "This is 4D Space, homies."

"If you guys feel that way, it must be true," Nel said.

"If you all feel that way, it must be," Cliff said.

"That means the Creator lies somewhere beyond this gate," Maria replied.

"Say, can we even exist in 4D space?" Fayt asked.

"Yeah, it's a completely different dimension…" Sophia replied.

"There's no way we can know for sure," Maria replied. "Still, I don't think Dr. Leingod would have overlooked this."

"Right, but we can't know for sure, can we?"

"I wonder..." Fayt pondered.

"Hey… There's no use thinking about it!" Peppita exclaimed. "Let's just dive right in!"

"Well, there you have it," Cliff smirked. "Decisiveness is a virtue."

"What do you think, fearless leader?" Cyrus asked Fayt. "Time's cut short."

"You guys are right…" he said in agreement. "Let's go, everybody. Let's find and defeat the

Creator!"

"Hell yeah!" With that said, the group pulled out their weapons and ran through the Time Gate.

* * *

Part 18.2: Rebels Without an Existence

The team reached the other side, weapons drawn and game faces on. Unfortunately, the dimension they landed in wasn't as they expected. Standing in front of them were a group of people who were mystified and confused. One woman even screamed for the fact that strange people jumped out of a display. Cyrus looked around and smiled. "Yo, yo, yo my people, what's up!" he shouted. "Can I here you say ahhhhh!" The same woman screamed again. "Not you," he quickly said.

"It seems we've made a scene," Nel said.

"Where are the Executioners here?" Fayt pondered.

"Who knows..." Maria said as she looked around. "But I do know that we arrived in 4D Space."

"We made it safely!" Sophia said as she grabbed Cyrus tightly. "What a relief."

"Girl got grip..." Cyrus strained. "Please... can't... breathe..." Sophia noticed Cyrus' cries for help and released him. The young shizznit began gasping for air.

"Wait a second," Cliff said. "Aren't enemy bases a little... hectic?"

"That's usually the case," Nel said. "Are we in the right place?"

"Of course" Sophia said. "I mean, this is 4D Space. It has to."

"It is people," Cyrus said.

"What the hell's going on here?" Fayt asked.

Not too long after Fayt's question, a young boy walked over to the group. He was short, no higher than Peppita's shoulder. He had green hair, grey eyes and wore blue suit-like clothing. "Did I hear you say 'Executioner'?" he asked.

"Yes you did," Fayt said.

"Who are you?" Maria asked.

"Flad Garrand," the boy said plainly.

"That wasn't what we meant," Cliff said putting his hand on his forehead.

"Don't worry. I'm not one of the bad guys," Flad reassures.

"I wonder," Nel said.

"You can come to my house. I think you'll find what you're lookin' for there."

"It does sound like a good idea," Peppita said.

"I guess we could," Cliff said. "He doesn't look dangerous."

"You could be right," Maria said. "We might find what we seek there."

"That's true," Sophia said.

"Okay then," Fayt agreed. "Let's move. He may know something about the Executioners that we don't know."

"'Nothing ventured, nothing gained' as they say," Cliff quoted.

"That's true," Nel agreed.

"Agreed," Maria replied.

"Hurry before security comes!" Flad rushed. "It's this way!"

"Fine by me," Cyrus said as they followed Flad. "We've attracted enough company as is,"

Flad led them to a house on a high hill. They walked in and a strange barrier (perhaps the door) lowered as they entered. "Mom, I'm hooome," Flad called.

"Welcome back–" A woman with a green shirt and dark blue garment said but cut herself off as she saw the group. "Flad, who are those people? And what's with those weird outfits?"

"Callin' our clothin' weird," Cyrus whispered to Maria.

"Who these?" Flad asked innocently. "They're just some friends of mine."

"Friends of yours..." Flad's mother repeated suspiciously. "I see..."

"Yeah," Peppita said. "We're sorta new around here."

"We're from a place far, far away," Cyrus said.

Flad led the group further into his house. Cyrus turned and saw the eyes of the mother warily looking on. Cyrus knew to be prepared for her scorn. However, there was nothing he could do now, so he returned back to the group on the floor below gathering in front of Flad. "Okay, let's get down to business," the boy said. Flad turned to Fayt and asked, "What's your name and where were you from?"

"Why would you want to know?" Cliff wondered.

"Nothing really. I just want to check something."

"I guess that's okay," Fayt said. "I'm Fayt Leingod from the planet Earth."

A keyboard appeared in front of Flad. "Let's see..." The boy began pressing commands on the console. Several windows opened and closed until a bleep was heard. "Okay." A screen popped up that showed the planet Earth. "Wow! So you are who I thought you were. Blair was right."

"Who's Blair?" Fayt asked.

"Okay, what's the dizzle?" Cyrus asked. "Dish out the dirt."

"Yes," Nel said. "Could you please tell us what's going on?"

"You're not related to the Executioners, right?" Cliff asked.

Flad began to think of an answer to the question. "No, not really..." he said. "How should I explain this? You came from the Eternal Sphere, right?"

"The what?" Peppita pondered.

"Here. Let me show you what I mean." Flad pressed another command on his console. A screen popped up showing another Federation ship being chased by a band of Enforcers. Just like what the group witnessed of the Aquaelie, the frigate didn't stand a chance against the awesome might of the Executioners.

"Hey, that's..." Fayt said.

"Why?" Sophia asked in concern and confusion.

"That's one of the battles against the Federation and the Executioners..." Maria replied.

"That's correct," Flad said. "This is what's going on in the Eternal Sphere."

"Going on?" Cliff replied. "Spit it out in Terran, kid. What the hell is the Eternal Sphere?"

"Calm down," Flad reassured. "I'll tell you everything. You see the Eternal Sphere is a universe inside a simulator. Earth is one of the planets inside it."

"Okay, keep going," Cyrus said.

"You can watch the Eternal Sphere and the occurrences inside any terminal. You guys are the characters and everything you have seen is part of the simulator."

Everybody was quiet. What Flad was saying made Sophia turn to Fayt and ask. "What is he talking about?"

"… We're just…characters living inside the simulator?"

"Yep."

"In other words, we're programs?"

"Well, that's one way to put it."

"So the whole universe is nothing but a game?" Peppita asked.

Flad shook his head. "Nope. It's an online reality everyone shares. It can't be reset or shut off like you would with any other game. It's kinda like a parallel world in some ways."

"You're saying we're puppets for you to control?" Fayt blurted.

"Kinda, yeah. But not really. You all have individual AI's, so you're not any different from us than we are of you. It isn't like we move you guys around with a joystick or a click of a button. That's why I think you're almost the same as us. The only difference is that you live in another dimension."

"Thus the parallel world," Maria quoted.

"You got it."

"Wait, you said an online reality, right?" Cyrus pondered.

"That's right."

"And with the other stuff you just said, that means... we're you guy's avatars of an online RPG? If that's the case, than that would mean me or you guys are being controlled by some kind of strange nerd dude with dimples, big glasses, a lonely disposition and what not."

"That's another way to sum it up," Flad said.

"So tell us about the Executioners?" Fayt asked. "Are they programs, too?"

"Exactly. According to the last press release, a virus was found in the 'Milky Way' galaxy of the Eternal Sphere. It said that if they don't do something, the virus will spread through the whole program. The Executioners were sent to delete the anomalies that caused the problem."

"What kind of anomalies?" Cyrus asked.

"The most recent happened a week ago. It was said that two different AI programs had mysteriously entered the Eternal Sphere. It was unknown where they came from, but it was clear that the first one seemed to be controlling the virus."

"Two mysterious AI's..." Fayt thought. Then the idea hit him and he turned to Cyrus. "Wait... Cyrus, you came from a different universe, right?"

"That's right."

"One of the AI's he's talking about... it must be you!"

"And the other must be..."

"Exactly!"

"You mean you're the strange AI?" Flad asked.

"'Strange' is such a harsh word," Cyrus said. "I'd prefer 'enigmatic'. But I'll tell you this, I ain't the glitch in the system."

"Of course," Maria said. "That must be Lystara Catalysta. She must be the one behind this."

"So all the Executioners are doing are fixing data?" Peppita asked.

"This is nuts!" Cliff said. "I knew they weren't gods, but now you're saying they're programs."

"If this is all true and we're just programs, how are we able to exist?" Sophia asked. "This should be impossible."

"Now that is something I have no clue on," Flad replied.

"It must be Maria's power- the Alteration gene," Fayt said.

"The power given by Professor Leingod. A program created by a program."

"All I can say is that irony is a bitch," Cyrus quoted.

"Say, kid, how do you know about this stuff?" Cliff asked Flad.

"Easy. 'Cause my friend works at the place that made the Eternal Sphere. Her name is Blair and she told me all about you guys. But seriously, I'm not one of the bad guys."

"So how come you brought us here."

"Umm... Curiosity, mainly. Think about it, game characters coming to the real world. It's like a dream come true!"

"You're telling me," Cyrus said.

"So, you're here to beat the Executioners, right? What do you think your chances are? Do you think you can do it?" Before anyone knew, a group of men with large guns and heavy suits appeared on the top floor of the home. Their massive armory was aimed right at the group. "Security?"

"Bad guys?" Cliff said in surprise.

"You turned on us?" Fayt asked.

"I didn't do anything!" Flad quickly retorted.

"Freeze!" one of the Security officers shouted. "Get your hands up!"

"You're all under arrest!" another said.

"You got nothin' on me, porkchop!" Cyrus yelled.

Flad's mother appeared at the scene. "Mom, did you call Security?" Flad asked.

"What was I supposed to do? I was worried about you..."

"Can't you just mind your own business."

"What do we do now?" Cliff asked.

"Whatever it is, we can't get caught," Fayt replied.

"You have a point there," Peppita said.

"Shall we?" Maria asked.

"I'm way ahead of ya," Cyrus said. The group ran out of the house, but they were stopped by another group of Security. Before they could turn around, the first group had appeared with their weapons drawn.

"Surrender quietly and no one will get hurt," one of the officials said.

"Sorry, we don't surrender," Cyrus replied. "Cramps our style. Hey guys, where I'm from, we have ways of dealing with pigs."

"Then let's teach them a lesson," Maria said.

Cyrus started playing "Deep Cover" by Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre and pulled out his light saber. The group rushed at the cops and attacked. The odds were against the group of seven, but they showed that numbers wasn't everything. With a few powerful attacks, the squad was taken out fairly quickly.

"D-Damn you!" groaned one of the fallen Security soldiers.

"Seems the NYPD became DOA'd through the 187. Gone in 60 seconds know what I'm sayin'?" Cyrus gloated as he struck a pose with his arms crossed, left leg bent forward and cap turned back.

"For once, I do know what you said," Nel said. Cyrus looked at her surprised. "This was just too easy."

"You two are right," Cliff agreed. "You would think that everyone in 4D was as tough as the Executioners."

"Maybe the Executioners are exceptions," Sophia said.

"They must have been specially created for the Eternal Sphere," Maria said.

Fayt nodded. "I guess you're right."

The Security force rose up. "This isn't over!" one of them yelled.

"You'll all pay!" another shouted as they left.

"Well come back here and show us what you got," Cliff mocked.

"Hey guys..." a voice said. They turned around and saw Flad with an object in his hand. "This is for you," he said.

Cliff caught the item. It appeared to be a disk. "What's this?" he asked and gave it to Cyrus.

"If you don't believe what I said, than you should go check it out, yourselves! There's a special Eternal Sphere terminal at Gemity. Try it!"

Flad's mother appeared and was not in a happy mood. "Flad, quit this nonsense!" she ordered. "Now get back inside and do your work!"

"Awww, moooommm..." he groaned as he was getting pushed back inside.

Cliff huffed. "Smart little brat," he said.

"I guess kids are kids, no matter where you are," Peppita replied.

"You're one to talk," Cyrus said.

"Ha ha, that's very funny!" Peppita retorted. Cyrus only chuckled at her reaction.

The group left and walked around town, looking for a way out of their current location. "It's strange," Maria said to Cyrus.

"What do you mean?" Cyrus asked.

"Look around you. All of these people... very few of them are working," she studied.

"Yeah," Cyrus agreed. "All they do is play around on the sim every single day. Not even I do that."

"They seem to be a fortunate society, but is that really the case?"

"After all, appearances can be deceiving," Cyrus then he lowered his head, brim covering the eyes. "Maria, do you think that we can defeat the Creator? I mean, he's the one that made you guys and the universe."

"If you're asking that, then you should also ask if we'll also defeat Lystara."

"True."

"Are you feeling alright?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I? It's just... well..." Maria gave him a confused look as Cyrus tried to get the words out of his mouth. "To be perfectly quaint, I just do want to have somethin' happen to you... er, or anyone else. The power of the Creator in 4D Space is one thing, but Lystara is "

"Cyrus... Don't worry. I promise that we will defeat the Creator and Lystara. We are fighting not just for the universe, but for our own being."

"You right."

"And Cyrus, do remember when you said you had my back?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, I have yours too." Maria gave a sweet smile to Cyrus. Cyrus gave a small chuckle.

Unfortunately, the moment was interrupted once more by Peppita again with her small chuckle. The two snapped back to reality to see both her and the group looking at them. "Man, is it just me, or is Cyrus trying to flirt with Maria?" Peppita said wryly.

"No!" they both said in unison. They were a little embarrassed and began blushing.

"We were just–" Cyrus began.

"Talking," Maria finished.

"Of course you were," Cliff replied. "If that's the case, then how come you're both as red as apples?"

"Er... Blood rush!" Cyrus quickly replied.

"Right," Maria said in agreement. "We are about to face the one responsible for destroying our universe, after all."

"How about you to just start kissing now," Peppita said. Both victims of the conversation gave her evil looks that sent shivers up her spine.

Nel knew it was time to break it up. She cleared her throat and said, "Don't you think we should be going?"

"Nel's right," Fayt said. "The sooner we go to this Gemity, the better."

"Yeah!" Cyrus said. "You all should drop this and continue on with our trek."

"Nah," Cliff said. "We'll still tease you about this."

"Just remember who has a particle sword and a cursed blade," Cyrus reminded with a grin. Cliff gave a nervous chuckle at the hinted threat. Fayt shook his head and led the group through the portal. They arrived at another part of Arkives where the main terminal of the town was located. They stood on the platform and saw another transportation device like the one they used. They walked through it and were at a new area with a large building in front of them.

"What is this?" Nel asked.

"From the looks of it," Cliff analyzed, "it's some kind of station."

"Let's take a look," Fayt suggested. They went in the building. Inside was an aisle that led to a dome shaped device.

Sophia began checking out a screen at the side of the room. "That must be our ticket to Gemity," Maria replied.

"It's almost like a transporter," Fayt said.

"According to what I got from one of the people when I got here, this is called a Spacetime Station," Cyrus explained. "It is similar to you guy's transporter except for a few exceptions."

"Like what?" Cliff asked.

"For one, it doesn't delete and copy atomic structures at the same time. It actually sends the spatial conjunctions as a whole to the next station. Think of it as cut and paste. Second, you can't go any where you want. The government is limits where a person can go unless they have their approval. Now think of that as bureaucracy."

"I see..." Fayt said.

Sophia came back to the group after she read the information. "The board says that Gemity is an amusement city."

"Amusement, huh?" Peppita said. "I wonder what it's like."

"We won't know unless we find out," Fayt said.

"Let's go!" Cyrus said in a tone like Lil Jon's (if you ever seen the Chappelle's Show when he does the skit 'In the Day in the Life of Lil Jon', you'd know what I mean). They went inside the machine and were transported to another station.

They went out the building and were at awe when they got outside. "This must be Gemity. The place Flad told us about."

"Amazing..." Sophia said.

"This place is off the hook!" Cyrus replied.

"What do you mean?" Nel said as she put her hand over her eyes. "My eyes are hurting from all the light."

"Just looking at this brings in the fact that these guys really did make our universe," Cliff said.

"So it seems..." Fayt said.

"Now's not the time to stand and stare," Maria said. "We have a terminal to find and see if this Eternal Sphere thing is true."

"We sorta blend in here perfectly," Cyrus said. "Most of the people here are dressed as some of the things we know. Incapacitator, Foxtail, Michael Jackson," he said as he pointed to the people. "This is like one of them cosplay convention things."

"So we might as well be saying we're already in costume?" Peppita asked.

"From the sound of it, yes," Sophia said. The group moved forward, walking through the city streets. It wasn't long until they reached a large area filled with different transporters leading to different areas and one large building in the center.

"Oh wow!" said an impressed Peppita. "There's so much to do here!"

"Now I see why it's the amusement city," Fayt said.

"It's like a theme park with no entry fee," Cyrus said.

"I wonder what's there," Peppita said, pointing to a transporter with a bunnyman sign on the ground below it.

"Wait, we can't do that..." Fayt said.

"We have more important things in mind," Maria said.

"Only for a few minutes," Peppita said as she begun making a puppy like face.

"We can do it a little later," Fayt said. "But right now, we have to get to the terminal."

"Oh right," the Velbaysian said in a tired voice. The group went to the right side of the building and stepped in the transporter. The group found themselves in a small area with a woman behind the desk.

"Where are we now?" Sophia asked. We must be inside the building.

"Hey," Cliff said. "Aren't we forgetting someone?"

Fayt looked at his group and found saw that Cyrus wasn't with them. "Where did Cyrus go?"

"Hello, miss," a casual, yet young voice said. Fayt turned around and there was Cyrus leaning against the attendant's desk.

"Can I help you?" the woman asked.

"Yes, you may." Cyrus turned around and signaled the group his location. "Can you, by any chance, tell us where we are?"

"Of course. This is the master terminal of Sphere's interactive, multiple timespace program, the Eternal Sphere. You can send the same character data that you use at home to another time or

galaxy with this system. Of course, you can also use this terminal just as you would use any other ordinary terminal."

"Send character data?" Sophia asked.

"They must mean like a memory card for a game console," Cyrus said. "And she said to another time or place. For all we know, we can go to the age of dinosaurs and no one could care less."

"And why would we want to do that?" Peppita asked.

"I was trying to make a point," Cyrus said as he rubbed his forehead.

"But we don't have any character data," Cliff said. "So how are we supposed to get in."

"It seems we have to take our chances," Maria suggested.

"Is there a problem?" the attendant asked.

"Oh, not at all," Fayt said. "We would like to use the terminal, please."

"Very well. A little word of caution. The Milky Way galaxy of the Eternal Sphere is locked due to technical difficulties. If you were playing in the Milky Way, I must ask you to play in another galaxy."

"Yeah, right," Cliff said under his breath.

"Please stand back in front of me and close your eyes. As your guide to other worlds, it is my solemn duty to send you to the Eternal Sphere safely."

The group gathered in front of the desk and closed their eyes. "Let 'er rip," Peppita said.

On the floor where they were standing, a large insignia was forming. "Reeyoo, luoca, nasei, keeyoo," the attendant chanted. "Open for us, door between space and time!"

The group was sent to a new space. By the time they opened their eyes, the group looked at the surroundings around them. The place looked like the inside of a grandfather clock. The only other thing in the room with them was the terminal they were searching for. "Well, we're here," Cliff said. "What's next?"

Sophia saw the terminal and had an idea. "I think we should try that device. Maybe we'll be able to change the settings."

"Wouldn't hurt," Maria said. The group went over to the device. When Maria went to check out a device, a platform closed behind her. As soon as she sat down, a console appeared. She begin pressing commands on its keypad, but an unpromising sound was heard. "...it's no good," she said. "Without an ID disk, there is no way to access. The only other way is if we register."

"And that would mean starting from scratch," Fayt said with a nod of agreement from Maria. "Damn!" he said as he stomped on the ground.

"Let's not have a hizzle fizzle," Cyrus said, trying to calm down Fayt. "What about this thing?" Cyrus pulled out the disk Cliff handed him after it was caught by Flad earlier.

"That could be what the machine's asking for," Sophia said.

"Worth a shot," Maria said. Cyrus handed her the disk and Maria slid it in the slot. The terminal's screens popped up as it was loading the disk's data. "Okay, this is looking good," she reported. As she began typing access into the Milky Way, another, less favorable message appeared and the screen went static. "Now this looks bad," she said.

"What happened now?" Cliff asked.

"We were authorized weren't we?" Fayt asked.

"Yes, but it's like Flad and the attendant said," Maria replied. "The Milky Way is locked out. We can't get in."

"So we can't go back home?" Peppita asked.

"I guess not," Cyrus said.

"Wait, Maria," Sophia said. "Is it okay if I looked into it?"

"I don't see why not," Maria answered. The blue-haired captain got up from her seat and stood back from the terminal. As soon as Sophia touched the machine, a strange energy surge occurred. The group saw familiar areas appear around them.

"Hey, look!" Peppita said.

"Arias, Castle Aquaria, Kirlsa..." Nel said as she look at each image.

"Whipple, Styx..." Fayt said.

Maria went back to the terminal and sat down. She typed on the console and found a welcomed surprise. "Amazing!" she said. "I have full system administrator privileges!"

"But how?"

"Sophia must have done something to the terminal's system when she touched it."

"But how?" Sophia said. "All I did was touch it. I had a feeling that I could do the same thing I did at the Time Gate. I wished as hard as I could to get back home. I'm sorry again..."

"Don't be," Cyrus said. "It the power of the Connection gene. You shouldn't apologize."

"I didn't know it could have an affect in 4D Space, too," Fayt said.

"The good doctor must have put something extra in your codin'. It's almost the same as me surviving in this dimension and yours without an issue or something."

"Perhaps..."

"We can ponder about that later," Maria said. "All that matters is that we're in. I'll grant myself access to the Milky Way, and leave it open with a trojan. With that, I'll be able to access it whenever I want."

"All right, Maria!" Cyrus applauded. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Not right now. This will only take a few minutes."

"I guess I need to take a stretch." Cyrus left Maria to her work. It wasn't long until he noticed Nel, who was looking around her surroundings, mesmerized by some of the familiar and unfamiliar sights. "Weird, ain't it?" Cyrus asked.

"That's one way of putting it. Cyrus do you remember when we first met?"

"How can't I?" Cyrus asked snidely. "The choices were: A. Come help us, B. Stay and rot in a cage or C. Meet a swift and painful death." Nel gave a slight chuckle. "But I wonder why you brought that up?"

"Well, when we first met, I had a feeling that we were going to have an adventure. What we've been through, however, was far from what I had ever expected. I learned about the strange worlds that you come from. But this 4D Space... It's so bizarre. And now that we found this terminal thing, will it prove that these 4D Beings really created us? Personally I hope not."

"I know what you mean, Nel. Even I'm having some thoughts. In my own existence, it was 4D Space. But now that I'm in your dimension, and I'm sure that the history there is no different, is it possible that I may not be one of this plain? And if that is true and here I was an avatar for some guy, than would it mean that 4D Space is being controlled the same way?"

There was silence between them. "This is an enigma," Nel said with her arms folded. "However, just because we were created, doesn't mean our thoughts and feelings can be controlled as such."

"That's true. We all have our own individuality."

"I have and always will believe that the gods created our worlds. However, I will never believe that they made it for pure amusement."

"And even if I'm not from this universe, I won't just stand here and watch you guys and myself be destroyed."

"Hey you two," Cliff called. "Maria's done entering us in."

"Well, this is it," Nel said. "The moment of truth."

"Yes," Cyrus agreed. "Let's jet." The two walked back to the group.

"Alright, everything's set," Maria said. "So, where do you guys want to go?"

"Anywhere's okay," Sophia said.

"I wonder how Clair and the others are doing?" Nel pondered. "How about we go to my world?"

"I think we should go to Elicoor II, too," Cyrus said in agreement. "After all, if we're really going to defeat that Creator dude, we need reinforcements."

"They're right," Fayt said. "Let's go."

"To Elicoor II, is it?" Maria asked. "Alright then, let's go." Maria pressed the keys on the console. As soon as she did, the space began distorting.

"What's going–?" Cyrus was cut off by a flash of light and a high pitched scream coming from Sophia.

* * *

Part 18.3: Bringing on the Cavalry

In about a few minutes, the group found themselves walking out of a small square on the ground. They looked around their familiar surroundings and saw that they were at where they wanted to be. It was the Aire Hills of Elicoor II. "Hey," Peppita said. "Where are we?"

"This is... Elicoor II, as you call it?" Nel said. "My home world."

"We've made it, G's," Cyrus said.

"It's unbelievable that we made it here with only a click of a button," Cliff said. "We got here without even using the Time Gate."

"So it seems that what Flad said was true," Maria replied.

"So that would mean we're just programs?" Sophia asked.

"No way!" Fayt said with a hint of anger. "That would mean the deaths of everyone we're known- Dion, Ameena, the Commodore- everything we've seen was based on a program?"

"So it seems," said Maria. "But even if that were true, we're still living. I mean, anything that we perceive as reality has to be to us, right?"

"Of course," Cyrus agreed.

"I know we're alive," Peppita said. "We just gotta be!"

Sophia took Fayt's hand and held it up. "You got to believe what's in your heart, Fayt," she said to him. "Let's choose to believe, okay?"

Fayt's attitude change from worried to happy. He smiled and said, "You're right. If we stop now, we'll let down my father and the entire crew on the Aquaelie."

"They sacrificed themselves for us to do this," Nel said. "If we're going to honor them, we must complete this task."

"We need to teach the Creator a lesson for what he's done to us," Cliff said as he punched his fist in his hand.

"You two know it's going to be dangerous," Cyrus said to Peppita and Nel.

"You're telling us?" Peppita asked mockingly. "Like I said before, I'll help anyway I can."

"Besides, if this isn't what we need to risk our lives for, than what is?" Nel said. Cyrus smiled and nodded.

"But is it possible we can defeat the Creator, a 4D Being?" Sophia asked.

"Of course," Maria responded. "We defeated the Security team, so we know we can hurt them."

"You're right."

"It's ironic when you think about it," Cyrus said. "We're going to defeat the Creator at his own game, and we're the characters."

"Strange, isn't it?" Nel asked.

"So, where to first?" Cliff asked Fayt.

"Since we're closer to Kirlsa, we should go there and pick up Albel."

"Do we really have to?" Nel hissed with her hand on her forehead.

"I know it will be hard, but we need to do what needs to be done."

"Yeah, but Albel?" Cliff asked.

"Um, who's Albel?" Sophia asked.

"Oh, simply put, he's a man you love to hate," Cyrus replied.

"With the clothing sense to match," Cliff added.

"I see..."

"Well, let's get this over with," Maria said as she was already going to the mining town. Fayt looked at the group whose only reply were a few nods and a shrug from Cliff. They went to Count Woltar's Manor at the north of town. They went into his office and saw the old man writing letters.

"Yo, yo, CW," Cyrus said. "What's crackin'?"

"I do not know what you mean, young one," he said. When he turned his faces to the group, he was surprised to see them in his room, though he made sure to contain his shock. Instead he chuckled. "I should of known it was you. I didn't expect to see you here so soon."

"We thought we could stop by for a visit," Cliff said.

"What's that?" Nel asked, wondering what Count Woltar was writing.

"This, oh here you go?" The Count passed it on to Fayt.

"Let's see..." Cyrus said as he peered over Fayt. "'Injury payments'? Sounds fun," he sarcastically replied.

"Read it," Woltar said. "I'm sure you'll be entertained."

"Okay... 'Black Brigade Post of the Kirlsa Training Facility. Numbers of soldiers suffering the following injuries: twenty-three with broken hips, twelve with dislocated shoulders, seventeen with broken ankles, two with broken noses, nineteen with broken arms, and one dead... Kirlsa Calico'?"

"Yes. It seems one of the soldier's pets were killed in the event."

"Look down here," Maria noticed. "'Cause of injuries: Albel Nox. Cost of Injuries: 25,000 Fol.'"

The group looked at Woltar, who did not stir, only shook his head and sighed. "To tell you the truth, this is one of his good days," he simply replied. "One time, his actions costed me 78,000 Fol. to clean up after."

"When you put it that way..." Peppita said.

"Speaking of which, do you have some business with him?"

"Yes," Fayt said. "Is he here?"

"I'm afraid not. You see, all of his adventures that he's had with you had ignited a spark within him."

"From the looks of this bill, I'm sure he's on fire," Cyrus whispered to Nel.

"As always," Nel replied.

"So do you know where he went?" Cliff asked.

Woltar shook his head. "I'm afraid after that incident, Albel hasn't been seen since. I'm sure he is training at a place where the sweat will be pouring off his body like a waterfall."

"This is funny," Nel said. "I would never of known the great Albel would resort to combat training."

"It is kind of funny," Cyrus replied. "So, where should we go if we want to turn off the stove?"

"How about we go to the Lava Caves?" Maria asked. "If Albel would go train somewhere, he would pick a place filled with monsters and where no one else would go." The group nodded and headed for the mountains. During the trek, Cyrus rode his bike, the Shadow Blaze as he traveled with the group.

After a few hours of walking and riding up the mountains, the group had arrived in Crossel's lair. They found a still tired Crossel and a sweating Albel. The Glyphian was on the podium practicing with his katana while the dragon laid down, still exhausted from carrying the group, defeating a bio-engineered dragon from another dimension and bearing a large runological cannon. It was only a chuckle from Peppita that made Albel turn around with an embarrassed look on his face. "What the–?" He quickly sheathed his sword

"Wow," Peppita said. "You must either be the prettiest man I've seen, or the ugliest girl I've seen."

"You will pay dearly for that comment, maggot," Albel growled.

"So that's Albel?" Sophia asked.

"Yeah," Cyrus said. "Don't let the dress fool you, that's a dude."

"It's a sarong, you fool!" Albel snapped.

"Nice to meet you, too," Cyrus replied in sarcasm. "Hey, Crossel, dragon brother from another mother. What's up, homie?"

Crossel only groaned in agony. "One of you small humans in my domain is enough," the tired dragon said. "Why is it so hard to rest in peace?"

"No 'hi', no smile. Boy, you know how to leave a dude hangin'."

"Speaking of which, what brings you worms here?" Albel asked.

"We thought you were here, so we came to stop by," Fayt said.

"Curious. Well, now that you came, you can leave all the same."

"What ch'ya doin'?" Peppita asked in joy.

"None of your business, fool."

"Albel, Albel, Albel," Cliff said.

"You're still the same as always," Maria replied.

"What's it to you, wench?"

"I know what's wrong," Maria said playfully.

"What is it you want to say, wench?"

"Albel the Wicked, Captain of the Black Brigade, doing combat training," she teased.

"Me? C-Combat training? What insolence! Silence, woman!" It was clear to everyone that they got him on the spot.

"Uh-oh," Cliff said wryly with a big smile on his face. "You seem to have struck a cord."

"Now this in my time is what we call 'genuine comedy'," Cyrus said.

"Silence, you fools!"

"Oh come on. So you see a little issue with your style here, found a little flaw there, big deal. We've all been on that road."

"Silence, worms! Silence!"

"I wonder what the soldiers will say when we tell them about this?" Nel wondered.

Albel growled and bit his lip. The last thing he needed was for his soldier to know that he was training. He knew there was no denying what was happening. "Fine, maggots, I'm training. Happy?"

"Okay... Sca-ree..." Cliff muttered.

"And since you're here, I wish to duel you, blue-haired maggot." The group looked with confusion at Fayt and Maria. The two themselves were also whimsical at Albel's request. "The one with the sword, fools!" he shouted. "The one with the sword!"

"But wait a minute!" Fayt replied. "How come... Why do you want to fight me?"

"What a pathetic question," Albel hissed. "To see who is stronger. You..." Albel pulled out his sword. "...or me."

"What's the point of this?"

"The only point is at the end of my blade, maggot. Now, try not to disappoint me," Albel said with his blade pointed at his rival.

"I think you have no choice," Cyrus said. "It's looks like Albel really want to fight. Well," the shizznit said as he put his hand on Fayt's shoulder, "just remember one thing."

"What's that?"

"You've made Albel happy. I mean look at his smile..." The two looked at the warrior who eyes gleamed a bloodthirsty twinkle and his 'smile' showed that he was in fact grinding his teeth. "Plus, in order to defeat the Creator, you need all the practice you can get. Time to start keepin' it real." With that said, Cyrus and the group moved away from the floor and onto the platform that Crossel was laying on.

Albel jumped from the platform and landed a few yards from Fayt. His target was in sight and the Glyphian rushed at him at his max speed. Fayt dodged the first slash and blocked the next. At that block, Albel shoved away Fayt and quickly used his metal claw. However, Fayt sidestepped out of the man's way and used a powerful Side Kick. Albel staggered back, but as soon as he regained balance, he wiped his face and gave a malevolent smirk. He zig-zagged straight at the blue-haired hero. Fayt was unable to get out of the way as Albel's claw made impact and sent the swordsman flying. Seeing him on the ground, Albel jumped up and was ready to stab right through him. Fayt opened his eyes at the right moment and rolled to the side. Albel's blade got stuck in the ground. Fayt knew that now was the time to capitalize. He quickly ran to Albel and used Shotgun Blast. Each small explosion from his lowering hand caused considerable amount of damage and made Albel move back with his sword, that was also pulled out of the ground. With the distance put between the two, the Glyphian knew it was time to for his Air Slash. He kicked up a small, fast moving shock wave with his sword. Fayt dodged two of the waves, but was unable to evade the third. Before Fayt could react, the attack had made contact. Fayt was knocked back. Albel then used Charge. Like a purple comet, Albel rammed Fayt at incredible speeds. The group was in shock as they saw Fayt fly back and fall hard on the ground. Albel took advantage of his predicament and was ready to slash. Every second, the blade of Albel's sword was coming down closer to Fayt's body. Fayt saw the dangerous blow coming.He quickly rose and blocked the move by holdinging his sword above his head. Albel was pushing down as Fayt was pushing up. Fayt used all of his might and was able to push Albel away. He quickly moved back and used all three strikes of Blade of Fury. As soon as Fayt performed the move, Albel knelt down in defeat. The battle was over.

"Damn!" Albel snapped. "Not again!"

"I'm sorry..." Fayt replied.

"Are you okay?" Sophia asked with a concerned look on her face.

"I'm fine," Fayt reassured. "Don't worry about me."

"You may have been training since we left, but that doesn't mean Fayt's been twiddling his fingers, either," Cliff said.

"Shut up, maggot," Albel hissed. He got up and walked a few feet away while scratching his katana with his metal claw.

"What are you thinking about, Nox," Nel asked with cautious eyes.

"Though it is none of your business, fool, I will tell you. It seems that training alone will not help improve my skill. In order to do that, I will venture with you maggots to find out what makes you strong. Then I shall use that knowledge to crush you."

"So wait a minute," Cyrus replied. "You want to join with us, study our tactics and then stab us in the backs, later?"

"That's right."

"Well, at least he's honest," Cliff replied. "Though, I don't think..."

"Who asked what you thought, fool," Albel interrupted. "My mind's been made up. I am going with you."

Maria shook her head. "I guess we have no choice but to take him along."

Cyrus sighed. "Welcome back, ol' wicked G dog."

"Don't get too comfortable," Albel warned. "Just because I'm in this group, don't expect me to lend my hand in battle."

"Like we want that claw of yours," Nel said.

"What was that, woman?" Both warriors were exchanging glares.

"Okay, since we're done here, how about we go to Arias?" Cyrus replied.

"For who?" Sophia asked.

"A man whose age gave him wisdom and power beyond our own. A man whose swordsmanship is only surpassed by his symbology. A man–"

"You mean that gray-haired wench's old man?" Albel shouted.

"Why do you always have to break the grove? But yes, Adray."

"Do we really need to ask him?" Cliff whined. "The guys smells as if he hasn't taken a shower in twenty some-odd years."

"That's just too much info," Sophia replied.

"But he is powerful, nonetheless," Fayt agreed. "I think he'll want to go on this journey."

"This is foolish," Albel replied. "Then again, I shouldn't expect much from you."

"And yet you decided to come along," Cliff pointed out.

"Watch it, maggot."

"This is going to be one long walk," Sophia said.

"With Albel, it's only going to be longer," Cliff replied as they left Crossel's lair.

It took about a few hours from the Bequerel Mountain Pass to reach Arias. Though the village was still in ruination, it was showing signs of repair. They went down to the mansion and inside the meeting room where Clair was looking out the window. "Hello, Claire," Nel greeted.

Clair looked back and her face glowed. "Nel! Where have you been?"

"It's a long story, Clair. And one unbelievable at that. If it isn't too much trouble, we need to see Adray."

"Oh. Father's off on a pilgrimage to an island, again."

"I swear, I think the Magistrate is just sending him to those places just to get rid of him."

"For once, that sniveling coward is doing something worthwhile," Albel said to himself. The group looked at him. "What? Can't I say what's on my mind?"

"Please, Albel..." Fayt said.

"Bah..." was the swordsman's only response.

"Well, thanks," Nel said.

"Anytime. And Nel, please be careful. I don't know what's going on, but please come back safely." Nel replied with a nod and the group followed her out the mansion.

"Well, Adray's gone," Peppita said. "So, where next?"

"Let's go to Surferio," Fayt said. "We can pick up Roger and leave."

"Why do we have to pick up that little brat?"

"For once, Goldy Locks has a point," Cliff said. Albel glared at the Klausion, who sweated a little. "Still, why should we bring him?"

"The little maggot's despicable, he hasn't bathed..."

"And he's an annoying little worm that thinks he's a man."

"The kid doesn't know a thing about women."

"Just like two people I know..." Cyrus muttered to himself.

"What was that?" Both Cliff and Albel shouted at both sides of the fear-stricken shizznit.

"I meant two other people I know," he said, chuckling nervously.

"He still helped us in the past," Fayt said.

"True, right in between his perverted acts," Nel replied.

"So he has a bravado," Cyrus said. "Who hasn't at the age of 12... Maybe we can stuff him into small spaces, or something."

Cliff laughed. "Sounds like an idea to me."

"It's settled," Fayt said. "Let's go."

It took another couple hours, but they made it to Surferio. On one of the bridges, the group saw the form of one of Roger's members, Melt. "Yo, kid," Cliff said.

Melt turned around and waved. "Hey, it's you guys."

"I see you remembered," Cyrus replied. "How's Roger doin' with the stuff we found?"

"He's just fiddling around with them, as usual. He also told some interesting stories."

"Like what?"

"Like when he said he defeated those Celestial Ships all by himself."

"What?" Cliff said in disbelief.

Maria only shook her head. "Did he, now?" she asked.

"Yeah, right after taking on two dragons and defeating Albel Nox!"

"He what?" Albel yelled. "When I find that lying maggot, I'm going to tear his ass to shreds!"

"Why am I not surprise?" Nel asked herself flatly.

"You really are a charmer," Cyrus said sarcastically.

"Can you tell us where he is?" Fayt asked.

"Sure," Melt replied. "He's at his house over near the cave."

"Okay, thanks."

"No problem. By the way, he said that you guys are now official members of his crew."

"I feel so honored," Cyrus replied. The group went to his house on the other side of Surferio.

Roger was busy looking at some of the objects they've found from the book. When he looked in the mirror, Roger saw the reflections of the group. He thought he was hallucinating and began to rub his eyes. When he looked again, he knew it wasn't seeing things. "Hey guys," the Menodix said in a cheery voice. "What're you doing here?"

"We were in the neighborhood so we came to say hi," Fayt said.

"Is that all? Please, make yourselves at home."

"Love to, but can't," Cyrus said. "We have an important appointment to go to."

"Is that so?"

"Pretty much," Peppita said.

"Is it an adventurous one?" Roger asked, with a little intrigue in his voice.

"If you want to call it that, then yes," Cliff said.

"Really! Why didn't you just say that before! Let me come, too!"

"I still think this is nuts..." Albel said.

"Why you say that! Think I'll get in the way?"

Before Albel said anything, Cyrus quickly intervened. "Of course not," Cyrus said. "In fact, that's why we're here."

"All right! You have nothing to fear. Roger, men among men, is here. I'll work harder than a sailor on a leaky boat!"

"Wait..." Cliff said. "Don't leaky boats capsize? ...Give me a break."

"Don't sweat the details. Guys that do that are never popular with the ladies."

With that said, Maria and Nel started putting their hands on their foreheads. "Oh crap..." Maria said under her breath.

"Are you trying to give me advice?" Cliff said. "What are you, the love professor or something?"

"Quit yah yapping, you big lout!"

"I'd watch your tongue if I were you."

"Got a problem?"

"I always have problems with stinkin' brats."

"That's Sir Roger to you, ya oaf!"

"In that case, you can call me Lord King Super Cliff!"

"Yeah right."

"This is outrageous!" Albel shouted. "You two wouldn't be able to attract women if the world was devoid of men!"

"And that's why you dress as one?" the witty Roger asked.

"What else do you do?" Cliff wondered. "Do you also wear lipstick and makeup?"

"You damn maggots! At least I'm not some perverted midget or a muscle-bound imbecile."

"Who are you calling an imbecile?"

"I'll have you know that I'm regular sized for my age, thank you!"

"This is going nowhere," Nel said.

"Are they always like this?" Sophia asked.

"Unfortunately, yes," Fayt said.

"Well, as much as I would love to watch the squabbling trio, we have more pressing business to keep," Cyrus said.

The group nodded and they out of the house. It didn't take long for Albel, Cliff and Roger to notice that the group was gone. They quickly joined back with them near the entrance. "Are we ready?" Sophia asked.

"Of course," Maria said.

"Wait," Albel said. The group turned to the Glyphian who had his arms folded. "You maggots been asking us to join you ever since you came back."

"Is something wrong?" Fayt asked.

"You know, girly man has a point," Roger replied. "Why do you need our help?"

"Alright, I guess we can tell them." Fayt told Roger and Albel about what happened since they left. From when Nel saved them from Biwig, to when they learned that their entire universe was a video game.

"So we're going up against some 4D fool that's trying to destroy our universe?"

"That's right."

"And Cyrus is also from there, but has some stuff in his D-N-T?" Roger asked

"It's DNA, but that's right," Cyrus said. "And if we don't stop him, we're all in for it deep."

"You know, this is not what I was thinking when you said we were going on an adventure," Roger said.

"What's wrong," Nel asked. "Having second thoughts?"

"Me? Of course not," Roger said as he began feeling up Nel's leg. Nel began shivering. "I would never let you alone, m'lady."

Nel kicked Roger off of her thigh as soon as Roger's hand climbed too far. "I see some things may never change," Cliff said, with a hardy chuckle.

"What are we waiting for fools," Albel snorted.

"Albel's right," Fayt agreed. "Let's go." With that said, the group headed back to the Aire Hills.

* * *


	20. Chapter 19

Part 19.1: Triple Threat

The group finally arrived at the Aire Hills. They looked around for the square and found it, near the entrance of Kirlsa like last time. As the party walked closer to the pad, the clouds began gathering. The sun was blocked, making the light blue sky into an ominous gray. Then, it began to rain. Lightning started bolting along the sky and the sound of thunder began to boom through the landscape. "Man," Cliff said. "This storm came pretty quickly."

"This isn't a natural storm, fool," Albel said as he surveyed the area.

"How do you know?" Peppita asked.

"I can sense it, too," Nel replied. "Something, or someone, is behind this."

"You're right, Elicoorian," a smug voice said. The group turned around and drew out their weapons. It was Lystara Catalysta hovering on the wing. "Well, I see your team is expanding, Cyrus."

"Whatever," Cyrus replied flatly.

"Who's this?" Albel spat. "The fool's girlfriend?"

"Not even close."

"So you're Lystara Catalysta?" Peppita asked.

"Yes young one, that is I."

"We know that you're behind this," Fayt said.

"You created the virus in this universe, and now you're using the Creator to wipe out everyone," Sophia replied.

"I guess I've been caught red-handed," Lystara mocked. "Oh what should I do?"

"Enough of this senseless talk!" Albel ordered. He then pulled out his katana and pointed it at Lystara. "If you're here for a fight, then you have come to the right place, maggot."

Lystara chuckled. "You are a warrior who is both admirable and impudent, Albel Nox. I like you. However, it will not be me you will fight. This is another test."

"Not again," Roger said. "How about you stop being a coward and actually fight us."

"It is not called cowardice, youngling. It is merely tactics."

"You're sick," Cyrus said.

"Now's not the time for pleasantries, dear Splicer. I would like you all to meet some friends of mine." On the ground on her left, right and front side, three circles of red, blue and black appeared. Rising from the circles were three girls that appeared to be nineteen years of age.

Emerging from the blue circle was a young woman with pale skin and long blue hair. She had blue eyes and a blue cloak. She also sported blue baggy jeans and blue shirt and blue fingernails. On the right side of her face, she wore a strange device. Her eye lids were also colored blue mascara.

Appearing from the red circle was a tanned skin woman with short red hair, a bang covering the right side of her face and a pony tail on the back. She had red eyes and wore a red cloak red tank top and tight red shorts. Her fingernails were red. She also had the same device just like her blue comrade on the right side of her face.

The last was a young asian woman with long black hair. She wore nothing but a black cloak, a black beanie, black strapless top that showed her belly and black jeans. Cyrus wasn't surprised when he looked in her eyes. There was nothing but a black circle. Her fingernails were also black She also wore the same device on the right side of her face like her comrades. "Let me introduce them," Lystara said. "The blue one is Ravage, the red one is Rampage, and the black one is Ransack. They are my deadly assassins."

"Whoa..." Cyrus said. "I have to admit, we got us some paragons up in here." Fayt nodded in agreement.

"I don't know about paragons, but those girls are gorgeous!" Roger yelled, drooling in the process. Cliff was drooling at the sight of the three women.

Albel noticed Cliff's action and slapped the back of his head. "Close your mouth, fool," he hissed. "They're way too young for you."

"Hate to break it to you guys, but aren't they the enemy?" Sophia asked.

"Uh..." Cyrus said. "Yeah, right... So you have some enticing chicks, big whoop."

"On the contrary," Lystara said. "These three are full of surprises. Show 'em ladies!" The three girls pressed a button on the devices that the wore. A lens slid in front of their right eyes and various data was being shown. It took a few seconds for the eye wear to retract. As soon as it did, the three women had the weapons of some of the group. Ravage had Fayt's Divine Avenger, Rampage had Albel's katana and metal claw attached to her right hand, and Ransack had Cyrus' Abysmal Offender and his Light Saber. The group looked at them in shock, especially the swordsmen.

"How in the hell...?" Albel replied with a stunned look.

"They somehow copied our weapons!" Fayt said.

"Impossible..." was the only thing Cyrus could say.

"That's why I like to use them," said Lystara. "The items they have on their heads are scanners. They allow them to not only scan the enemy, but to replicate their weapons as well. However, they do have the nasty side effect of mind controlling."

"Mind controlling?"

"What do you mean, fool?" Albel spat.

"See, they were also a group who tried to rebel against me. I must say, these young women did put up a fight. However, they still fell by my great power."

"So you destroyed their world and took control of them?" Cyrus said.

"Yes," Lystara said simply.

"That's not right!" Peppita said.

Lystara said. "So enough of this petty bickering. Attack, my minions!" The three assassins began to advance toward Albel, Cyrus and Fayt slowly. Behind Ransack, Rampage and Ravage, Lystara turned and walked away, slowly disappearing as she moved.

Cyrus turned his MP3 Player on to "I am Number 1" by Nelly and the battle started. The girls charged at the group and Albel, Fayt and Cyrus intercepted. Cyrus was fighting against Ransack with both swords in play. Fayt was taking on Ravage as they clashed in mid air. Albel was against Rampage as they stared each other down with their red eyes.

Ransack and Cyrus were pushing on each other's Abysmal Offenders with their left hands and spinning their Light Sabers with the other. As Cyrus looked at Ransack's face, it was expressionless. It looked as though she was in some kind of trance. Ransack pushed Cyrus away and used Raptor's Revenge. Cyrus was unable to defend himself as Ransack started landing multiple kicks on his chest. As Cyrus sprouted his wings, Ransack backed away and jumped forward. In mid air, she began twisting her body, holding both swords out while speeding at Cyrus. The shizznit flew up at her quickly. The strange lens appeared in front of Ransack's eye again and was calculating Cyrus' movements. Before Cyrus could land a hit on her with both of blades pointed forward, Ransack arched her body weight downward. By the time the winged shizznit was at the distance, Ransack flipped her body over. Her feet struck Cyrus' back and the two were falling quickly as Ransack was applying pressure. By the time they landed, the field was covered by a dust cloud. Jumping out from the cloud was Ransack. She flipped a few times in the air before landing safely on her feet to the ground, spinning her Abysmal Offender and Light Sabers. She watched carefully for any movement that was in the dust. She saw Cyrus coming out of the dust and falling on the ground. He was coughing due to the dust.

Meanwhile, Albel and Rampage were still holding their katanas in the same stance. Just like a samurai's, they bended their knees and held the sword up with the blade pointing at the enemy. After a small breeze passed by, the used Charge. When they met, the two locked swords. Albel tried to slash with his claw, but Rampage blocked the attack with her own metal claw. She kicked Albel straight in the chest, sending the swordsman to stagger. As soon as the swordsman looked up, he saw Rampage coming down from the air, ready to deliver a quick slash. Albel quickly jumped to the side, avoiding the attack. When he landed, Albel used Shockwave Swirl, but Rampage jumped behind him and use Air Slash. Before Albel could turn around, he was already hit by the wave. The attack was so powerful, that Albel was sliding backward along the ground quickly. He slammed into Cyrus who was trying to stand.

Fayt and Ravage were parrying each other's blows with their Divine Avengers. When Ravage charged at Fayt, the blue-haired swordsman quickly blocked the blade, only coming inches from his face. Ravage jump kicked Fayt in the face, causing him to fall to the ground. Ravage again tried to stab, but Fayt rolled out of the way. Fayt quickly got up and used his Side Kick, but Ravage spun around on the grip. Fayt was stunned. As soon as the attack was over, he stared at Ravage who was standing with her arms crossed on the guard of her sword. She had nothing but bloodlust in her eyes. She jumped off and pulled her sword out of the ground. Fayt dashed right at her, the blade of his Divine Avenger was glowing as it was held up. When he was in range, Fayt quickly performed Blade of Fury. Unfortunately, the triple combo was countered when Ravage tossed him into the air with a quick swiped. Then, the assassin performed a powerful Shotgun Blast. The over assault caused the smoking body of Fayt to land on Albel and Cyrus.

"Oh no!" Sophia shouted.

"This isn't good," Cyrus replied. "These chicks are schoolin' us with our own moves."

"What do you suggest we do, maggot?" Albel asked.

"You're a captain, you think."

"I may be a captain, but you're supposed to be a friggin' genius."

"What ever it is, let's do it quickly," Fayt suggested as the three fem fatales approached them.

Cyrus then noticed that the girls wore the brainwashing devices. "Wait..."

"What is?"

"Lyst said they were mind-controlled right?"

"Right," Cyrus replied.

"So how about we destroy those things on their heads."

"Nice plan, maggot," Albel said. "But how do we do that?"

"Albel's right. Those girls know our attack patterns. If we charge at them head on again, we're only goin' to be shanked, big time."

"Hold on," Fayt said as he came up with an idea. "They only scanned one of us at a time. We shouldn't focus on the same enemy."

"Alright, I see what you're getting at," Cyrus said. He, Albel and Fayt turned to the foes that stared at them. "You three hunnies best watch out! We're back, and this time, you're finished."

Fayt and Cyrus performed Healing on themselves and Albel and engaged the trio with their new strategy. Cyrus started battling with Rampage. As he approached her, the young shizznit started spinning his blades and her. Rampage was on her guard with her katana. Cyrus withdrew the Abysmal Offender and went into a samurai fighting stance with his Light Saber. Rampage charged at Cyrus and slashed with her blade. Cyrus began ducking and dodging the attacks of the long blade. When Rampage used Double Slash, Cyrus quickly avoided the attack. He quickly countered with the a 187. After the mid-air kicks, Cyrus sprouted his wings. He then moved his hand up and down. Rampage followed the movements. Then, Cyrus grabbed her head and slammed it to the ground. Rampage tried to get up, but was unable. Cyrus moved her bang and pulled off the device on her face. At the same time, Albel's katana was replaced with a Tri-Edge. When Rampage opened her eyes, she saw Cyrus. She sat up on her knees and groaned in pain. "Oh, my head... Where the hell am I?" She then looked at Cyrus. "What is going on?"

"I'll explain later," Cyrus answered. "All I can say now is that you're back."

"From where?"

"Exactly."

Meanwhile, Fayt was facing Ransack. The woman started striking and him with the Abysmal Offender and the Light Saber. Fayt was carefully blocking and dodging the strikes. Ransack then struck to the side with the Abysmal Offender, but Fayt quickly blocked the blow. She then raised her Light Saber. Fayt saw it coming from the corner of his eye and kicked it out of her hands. The two combatants moved their swords in front of themselves and pushed each other away. Ransack was about to use Shadow Slash. She was gathering up her energy to use the finishing move, but Fayt quickly saw this as his chance to use Aerial. Before she could take a step, Ransack was slammed to the ground. Fayt saw this as an opportunity to take off the scanner. When the technology was detached, two Tri-Edge blades appeared in her hands. Ransack slowly opened her eyes and was on her hands and knees. "Oh man, what happened?" she asked herself.

She then noticed Fayt knelt in front of her. "Are you okay?" Fayt asked. "I hope you're not too badly injured."

By that moment, Ransack rose and brushed off her clothes. "Oh, I'm fine!" she replied. "Can you tell me what's goin' on?"

"After Albel stops Ravage, we will tell you everything."

"Thanks."

Albel was zig-zagging straight at Ravage who used Blade of Fury. Before the first wave, Albel had already made a hit with his metal claw, sending the controlled warrior in the air. Ravage recovered in mid air and spun around. She landed behind the Glyphian. However, she had received more damage from an incoming Air Slash. Ravage staggered, but was still standing. She started to use her Charge attack, but Albel jumped out of the way. He kicked up a small wave with his katana, stunning the warrior. Then, he slashed down with his blade. Ravage began using Side Kick, but Albel rolled to the side and countered with his Shockwave Swirl. The power of the attack threw her to the ground. When she was about to get up, Albel had ran up to her side and made a quick slice. As soon as he passed her, he stood with his katana and right leg forward and his bangs still moving in the breeze. Ravage stood with her head up. Her face was painted in shock. Falling to the ground was the scanner cut in half. As soon as the gizmo was removed, Ravage collapsed on her knees, her face still looking up. Her blue eyes finally regained their pupils. Her hands were covered with gloves that had long claws. When Ravage regained her sight, she saw the Albel looking over her with a bored expression. "Hello, sir," she greeted. "Can you tell me where I am?"

"You're not under anyone's brain control, worm. That's all you need to know."

"Gee, what's wrong with you."

"No business of yours."

Cyrus and Fayt, along with Ransack and Rampage, walked over to the two along with the rest of the gang. "Are you guys okay?" Sophia asked in concern.

"We're okay," Fayt said.

"Yeah. Aside from a few dislocated shoulders and deep cuts, we'll be just fine," Cyrus replied sarcastically.

"Okay," Ravage said. "Can some one please tell us what is going on? I mean, we're on a mission and we can't stay for long, right Rampage?" She turned to Rampage and an embarrassed look came to her face. "Not again..." she muttered before slapping her forehead.

Rampage was flirting with Albel. "Hey, handsome..." Albel only turned his eye, but didn't respond. "So, can you tell me your name...?"

"It's Albel, maggot."

"Albel, huh? Nice. You can call me Rampage, sexy." Albel only breathed hard, trying to resist the urge not to kill her. He then returned to the group, leaving Rampage with a confused look. "Wait, what did I do?"

Cyrus whistled. "It seems the wicked Nox gots the eye of the ladies," he said with a smirk. "Didn't know you had it in ya, playboy." He gave Albel a few pats on the back.

"Touch me again and you will be one arm short, fool." With that said, Cyrus retracted his arm and looked down to the ground.

"Maybe I could give you a few lessons," Cliff said.

"Lessons from you are worthless. You haven't been able to attract one woman yourself, and you're trying to give me advice?"

"Alright, whatever," Cliff replied with a shrug.

"Anyway... Before we begin, let's introduce ourselves. I'm Ransack Aries. The leader in the trio."

"Rampage Driftwater. You can say I'm the good lookin' one."

"I'll say," Roger agreed.

"The name is Ravage Zinfandel. I'm the one that keeps these two from doing anything stupid."

"I know what you mean. I'm like the bodyguard for these guys," Cliff said as he referred to the members of the group that was under twenty years of age. "I have to keep these guys out of trouble twenty four-seven. By the way, I'm Cliff Fittir."

"It's true. He normally does something dumb instead. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Fayt Leingod."

"I'm Sophia Esteed. Please to meet your acquaintance."

"I'm Maria Traydor, leader of Quark."

"My name is Sir Roger S. Huxley. I'm the irresistible ladies man."

"Okay," Cliff said.

"Why don't you shuddup, ya big lummox!"

"I'm Nel Zelpher, agent of Aquaria."

"I'm Peppita Rossetti. I'm the fairy guide of the number one Rossetti Troupe."

"It's Albel. All you need to know is to just stay out of my way."

"And I'm Cyrus Splicer. Shizznit extraordinare representin', and the home boy that keeps it real in this party."

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," Ravage said. "Though we would still like to know what happened."

"Okay then," Cyrus said. He explained to them about where they were and how they got to Elicoor. He also told them they were controlled by Lystara Catalysta through mind control. The girls were speechless.

"Wait, you're telling me we were puppets sent to attack you guys?" Ransack asked.

"That's right," Fayt said.

"You do remember, do you," Sophia asked.

"No," Ravage replied. "But wait. You said Lystara Catalysta did this?"

"Yes, I did," Cyrus said.

"You know her?" Cliff asked.

"Know her? She destroyed our world!" Rampage said. Everyone in Fayt's group was shocked.

"You see, Lystara came to our world and started her attack," Ransack explained. "Our people tried everything they could to stop her and the foes she sent, but to no avail. So it was up to Rampage, Ravage and I to destroy her. By the time we reached her, it was too late. Our world... our entire dimension, had been annihilated. That's all we can remember before she attached that thing on us."

Cyrus pulled out the scanner from his pocket. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"We can't thank you guys enough for freeing us from Catalyst," Rampage said.

"It was no big deal," Cliff said. "We're glad we could be of service."

"But alas, we have disgraced ourselves," Ravage said. "We prevented our world from getting destroyed. Also, we must have killed too many people to apologize for. We have failed and have ourselves and our mission."

"Don't say that," Roger said.

"That's right," Nel said. "You weren't responsible for what happened. You were unaware of what you were doing."

"You haven't disgraced yourselves," Cyrus replied. "You did all you could. You faced immense odds to get anywhere near Lystara from the sounds of it. It's not you that has no honor, it's Lystara. She used you to kill innocent people."

"They're's right," Rampage replied.

"But what can we do?" Ravage asked. "How are we going to stop her? Even if we could, we don't know how to track her down."

"Why don't you come with us?" Peppita asked.

"Yeah, we're trying to stop Lystara too, you know," Maria said. "And you don't need to worry about tracking her. It's usually her that track us."

"Plus, we're also going after the Creator, who is also trying to destroy our universe," Fayt explained.

"You mean your god?" Ravage asked. "Now that's setting your sights high."

"In a way of speaking, yes," Nel said. "He has sentenced all of us to face execution."

"Whoa...!" was all a speachless Rampage could say.

"And that's only on the small scale of things," Cyrus replied. "We are actually data within a game. The 'Creator' is some lonely dude that isn't able to get some and created this dimension called the Eternal Sphere. He's wantin' to delete us in an attempt to destroy a virus."

"And that virus was made by Lystara Catalysta," Cliff added. "She plans to destroy both our universe and Cyrus'."

"Wait," Ravage said. "And Cyrus'? You mean you're from a different world?"

"It's a long story," Cyrus said while scratching the back of his head.

"Intriguing..."

"So if we don't do something, everyone will cease to exist," Ransack said. "Just like everyone from our realm."

"So, what do you say, miss?" Roger asked.

Ransack started thinking. After a moment, she came up to with a decision. "Alright, you have yourselves some partners."

"Ransack's right," Ravage agreed. "It is the only way we can make up for what happened to our world. This is also a way to pay Lystara back for what she done to us, right Rampage?" Ravage look around and once again found her flirting with Albel.

"You know Albel, this would be a good time for us to know each other,"

"In your dreams, maggot."

"You know, I always love a man in a sarong. Not only that, lavender is my favorite color."

"Someone get this wench away from me before I slash her damn head clean off her neck!"

"You know, you two look kinda cute together," Peppita said.

"Watch it, worm," Albel warned.

"Aaaaawww, come on," Roger whined. "What does girly-man have that I don't."

"Age, height and charm."

"I have charm." Roger tried to put on a cute facade, however, everyone only shook their heads.

"Anyway, let's go," Cyrus said.

"Yes," Ransack said. "We may not be able to fix what was lost, but we will stop Lystara from ever doing it again. Together." Everyone nodded in agreement with Ransack's words. The new group of twelve went to the pad and were transported back to the Sphere Terminal in 4D Space's Gemity.

* * *

Author's Note 1: Three girls are now joining up with the group. Will they prove valuable companions in this struggle against Lystara? We shall soon see, won't we.

Author's Note 2: I finally have a picture of Cyrus up on my DeviantArt gallery as well as a new version of the Abysmal Offender. Check it out!

* * *

Part 19.2: A Little Downtime

The group made it back to Gemity, one of the satellites in 4D Space. "So this is the 4D Space you maggots talked about?" Albel asked. "This is a rather dull place."

"More or less," Cyrus said. "Right now, we're inside the terminal room."

"Then let's blow this popsicle stand and get outside," Ransack replied.

"I couldn't have said it better," Cyrus said in agreement.

They left the terminal room and returned to the front desk. "Welcome back. How was your adventure in the world of the Eternal Sphere?" the attendant asked.

"It was alright, thank you," Cliff said.

"That's great to hear. The doors that will return you to the real world are right behind you. Please visit again soon."

"Oh we will," Cyrus said. "You can count on that." The group left the room and were back in the center of town. The place still looked spectacular. Even to the eyes of Albel, who was scanning the new scene. "Alright," Albel muttered. "This is a small change."

"It's so... colorful," Ravage said.

"So you're saying that these 4D guys made our universe?" Roger asked.

"I still don't believe it," Nel said.

"Wow, look at all this place!" Rampage yelped. "An arena, a chess club... Hey look, a consplay convention!"

"There's nothing in this dump but weak fools," Albel snorted. "How could such pathetic people have created us."

"Two words homeboy: Advanced technology," Cyrus pointed out.

"So, where do we go from here?" Ransack asked.

"Well, we'll need to take the station to the Sphere Company," Fayt said.

"You mean the guys that made the Eternal Sphere?" Peppita asked.

"Exactly."

"I'm getting a bad feeling about this," Ravage said.

"Hey, what could happen?" Cliff said.

"Anything."

"That won't matter," Rampage said in a cheery voice. "'Cause I know that Albel has my back, and I have his. Isn't that right?"

"Touch me, and you better be ready to meet a swift and painful death, wench," Albel snapped.

"Can't we all just get along?" Peppita asked.

"You don't want to know what happened to the last person I heard say that," Cyrus replied.

"So how do we get there?" Ravage asked.

"It was in some place known as the Lost City," said Maria.

"I wonder why it's called 'the Lost City'?" Roger asked.

"I'm pondering that myself," Cyrus said.

"Let's just go already," Ransack said impatiently.

"That's right," Sophia agreed. "The sooner we get to Sphere, the sooner we can fix this."

The party went back to the Space-Time Station in the southern part of town. "I see that you guys are back," the station personnel said. "So, where would you like to go?"

"We would like to go to the Lost City," Fayt said.

"Really? I would like your names, if you please."

"I'm Fayt Leingod."

"I'm Sophia Esteed."

"I'm Maria Traydor.

"I'm Cliff Fittir."

"I'm Nel Zelpher."

"Peppita Rossetti!"

"The name's Albel."

"Me? I'm Roger S. Huxley!"

"I'm Cyrus Splicer, dog."

"I'm Ransack Aries."

"Rampage Driftwater."

"The name is Ravage Zinfandel."

The personnel began typing in their names on the console. "Okay. Please wait a few minutes while I retrieve the information." As the man began typing on the console, the group sat in the lobby. Fayt sat on the left side in first row of chairs with Sophia resting her head on his shoulder. Cliff laid in the second row of chairs on the right side with Roger 'conversing' with him. Albel was in the back row of chairs on the left side of the room, running his hand on his blade. On the other side in the back row was Ravage, Rampage and Ransack, who were talking about which of the swordsman were the most handsome (Albel, Cyrus, or Fayt) while Peppita was eavesdropping on them in the next row up. In the first row on the right side of the room sat Cyrus, Maria, and Nel who were listening to music on the MP3 Player. It took about ten minutes for the man to return.

"So, can we go?" Peppita asked.

"I'm sorry to say it, but you do not have the proper privileges to enter the Lost City. It's off limits to anyone without the proper permission mostly due to security reasons. But do you have important business?"

"Oh no," Fayt replied. "Thank you for your time." The personnel went back to his job monitoring the Eternal Sphere. "Damn..." Fayt whispered.

"Since we can't go through there, how do we proceed?" Ravage asked.

"Is there any other way?" Roger asked

"How about we take him out of the way and force ourselves in," Maria suggested. "I may be able to rewrite our access privileges."

Cyrus and Fayt looked at Maria in confusion and fear. "Well..." Fayt said.

"I thought you were the neutral one..." Cyrus said.

"But damn if it don't make sense," Ransack said.

"Excuse me," the attendant called.

"Is there a problem?" Nel asked.

"No there isn't. It is just that I have received word from the Lost City. It seems that you now have the access privileges to enter."

"Say what?" Cyrus said.

"The person who contacted me gone by the name of 'B'. Is this person an acquaintance?"

"Yeah if you know the alphabet," Cyrus sneered.

"They said you would know them as an acquaintance from Flad. That's all I know."

"An acquaintance of Flad..." Cliff said.

"Who's Flad?" Roger asked.

"A boy we met in a place called Arkives," Peppita explained.

"Wait a minute," Maria thought. "Didn't he say he knew someone from Sphere named 'Blair' or something?"

"That's right," Fayt said.

"But do you think we should trust this person?" Sophia asked.

"She's right," Maria agreed. "This could be a trap."

"And it already smells like one," Rampage said.

"So what," Albel said. "Even if it is a trap, it doesn't matter. The way I see it, we have no choice but to spring it. It's time to stop this foolish squabble and get to this 'Sphere Company'." The group nodded with Albel's proposition.

"Can't argue with that know-how," Ravage said.

"Did you just say 'Sphere Company'?" the attendant asked.

"What of it, maggot?" Albel said sternly.

"That's the company that made the Eternal Sphere, right? I love playing that game! It's really fun!"

"Yeah!" Cyrus replied with fake enthusiasm. "It's the shizznit! In fact, you could say us and the Eternal Sphere are like this." He showed a hand gesture where his middle finger was wrapped around the index finger.

"That's great to know," Fayt said. "Anyway, are we able to go to the Lost City?"

"Huh?" the personnel said before he realized what the swordsman asked. "Oh that. Of course! Your access privileges have been rewritten. Once you guys go through the gate, you will find yourselves at Sphere, in the Lost City."

"So we are able to go there directly?" Sophia asked.

"That's right. The Lost City is filled with leading companies, most of them involved in the field of technology. In order to prevent spying, traveling is restricted to one certain area."

"That sorta makes sense," Rampage said.

"That means it will be easier for an ambush," Cliff said.

"Now that's two opposing sides of the same coin."

"Yeah, for whoever's coming in," Maria said. "If they block the gates, there will be no way to escape."

"This sounds dangerous," Sophia said.

"Don't worry," Fayt reassured.

"But I... Never mind. I know we'll win this."

"It's time to go then," Nel said.

"Well, you heard the lady," Cyrus said to the personnel. "Let's get it on."

"Okay, get ready." The man went back to the Spacetime console and started the machine up. The group entered the warp gate and were transported to Sphere Company. By the time they arrived, the crew were in for a nasty, yet expected, surprise.

Cliff growled at the sight of the situation. "I knew it. It's a trap!"

In front of the group was a large squad of Security soldiers, around thirty individuals, and a tall man with glasses, a well dressed suit, and short black hair. "Welcome to Sphere Company, anomalies," he greeted. "I am Azazer, head of the Security Department and the one who reports directly the company's owner. I have no idea of how you entered, but nonetheless, I bid you welcome. I must admit, it is impressive that characters such as yourselves were able to cross over to the real world and then outsmart our security system."

"If this is a game company, than I don't want to see the army!" Cyrus replied. _"There's more than just a few cops here than there were in the game,"_ he thought.

"Whaddaya mean, outsmart," Cliff asked. "You're the one that got us through."

"What are you talking about?" Azazer asked.

"You mean you didn't have anything to do with the stunt back in Gemity?" Ravage asked.

"I have no idea on what you're talking about, but it's safe to say that I have nothing to do with it." The chief began to ponder about the situation. "I believe I shall take action later. Perhaps I'll find a rat or two in unexpected places. In the meantime, how about I show you our hospitality."

"Hospitality," Maria mocked. "Yeah, this is real hospitable."

"Of course, the direction our hospitality takes depends on how you'll cooperate."

"What do you mean?" Roger asked.

"We see you as unique and interesting specimens. Our research department would like intent on studying you."

"So in other words, you want us to be guinea pigs?" Maria asked.

"Exactly."

"If we go through with this, will you stop the Executioner you have released in our galaxy?" Fayt asked.

"No, it is not possible. The Milky Way has been contaminated. We have no choice but to quarantine that part of the galaxy. You will be the only remnants of your galaxy."

"Well then, you'll just have to kiss our asses, chump!" Cyrus said.

"You actually thought we would say yes?" Cliff said.

"I may not be part of their universe, but that don't mean I won't help prevent such a catastrophe," Ransack said.

"Do we have a problem," Azazer said. "What about your friends?"

"Yeah we have a problem!" Sophia shouted.

"That's right!" Nel said.

"How could we possibly let that happen?" Peppita shouted.

"You think we're really going to let this happen, fool?" Albel shouted.

"I see that you leave me with no choice," Azazer said. "I will have to apologize to the research department later on. I suppose it's only natural for dysfunctional entities such as yourselves to face deletion."

"Your remorse is all so touching," Rampage sneered. Azazer was ready to give the signal and the Security squad readied their guns.

"We won't be deleted without a fight!" Fayt shouted as the group pulled out their weapons.

"And believe us, we're quite exceptional in the field of combat," Cyrus warned.

He turned his MP3 Player to "Bullet Time" from The Matrix soundtrack. Azazer snapped his fingers and the battle began. Cyrus, Roger, Maria and Nel went up against eight Security soldiers. When the shots began, the four scattered. Cyrus was able to block the laser shots with his Light Saber. Maria began shooting countless shots at the officials with her Aiming Device. Roger saw their actions as a diversion and decided to take this opportunity to use Land Mines. As he ran around the area of firing soldiers, Roger dropped small explosives on the ground. In less than a few seconds, there was a wall of fire behind the scurrying Menodix, causing the soldiers juggling in the air. Cyrus looked behind him and saw more foes. He grabbed Roger who happened to pass by. "Think fast!" Cyrus warned as he hurled the boy like a football. Luckily, Roger knew to use Flying Torpedo. The oncoming enemies were knocked over and Roger was a little dazed. Maria was surrounded by Security Soldiers on all sides. Each one was ready to subdue her. Maria knew her predicament, but only shook her head with a tired look on her head. She pressed a button on her gauntlet and a pool of electricity was spread around her. It was her Magnetic Field, and the attack paralyzed the soldiers while sending some damage at the same time. When the field dispersed, the soldier's already saw Maria readying her gun. Unable to do anything, Maria fired her Scatter Beam. Nel looked at both corners of her eyes and saw her enemies approaching. Dodging numerous shots, Nel was high in the air. When the barrage was over, she hurled herself one soldier, and kicked another, landing between both soldiers. When the soldiers were ready to fire, Nel generated a strong swirling gale that were giving the soldiers insurmountable damage. It was her Whirlwind and as soon as the wind receded, Nel began slashing with her Blades of Ryusen, which were sending out large balls of ice throughout the field. The last batch of soldiers, which were coming from behind, were quickly taken care of by Nel through the use of Flying Guillotine. She hurled her dagger at the group of soldiers, which grew in size. It sliced through the mob at high speeds and causing loud screams of pain. By the time it returned to Nel's hands and was sheathed, the Security dropped to the ground. Cyrus and his group, as well as the others, were victorious against their foes. They looked around and saw the bodies of either dead, dying or unconscious soldiers laid on the ground.

"Ah yeah!" Cyrus said in triumph. "These fools just got their asses whipped bad by the shizznit! Know what I'm sayin'!"

"The who?" Ransack said in confusion.

"You kinda get what he's saying as time goes by," Cliff said. "Not entirely, but enough."

"I see..."

"Yes," Maria said. "Now that were finished with them..."

The group turned their attention to Azaer who was speechless. "How can this be?" he asked himself. "You're just data!"

"Really?" Ransack said. "Well, it seems this data just breached your security team."

"She's right," Cyrus agreed. "They just got owned!"

"That's it," Azazer replied. "You may have defeated them, but you won't get pass me. I'll make sure of it!" Azazer pulled out a large sniper that had two longs pieces of metal that connected a foot away from the gun's barrel.

"Oh really?" Ravage asked in cockiness. "Then let's see what you got."

"Finally," Rampage said in enthusiasm. "We might have ourselves some fun."

"Let's get 'em!" Ransack said.

The three women rushed at Azazer. Ravage was about to land a hit with a right arm swing of her hand blades, but Azazer quickly dodged and shot his sniper. Ravage staggered back and Rampage charged at Azazer. She forced the spearhead into the ground while she ran and used its force to send her forward. She landed a hard kick at Azazer, knocking him down. When she pulled the spear out of the ground she was ready to slam the blade right at her fallen foe. However, the head of security manage to kick himself up and dodged the attack. He swung his gun at Rampage, generating a red wave with every swing. Rampage was hit with both counter strikes, and then fired upon. Ransack quickly entered into the fray. She manage to deliver a few slashes at Azazer, but they weren't strong enough to stop him. Azazer swung his gun again, but the strikes were quickly evaded. Ravage came back at Azazer, only this time, she was ready to use her special attack. Rampage quickly rose and then charged at the enemy. Her blade was aimed straight at Azazer and was ready to force a powerful blow. Before Azazer could turn around, the attack had already hit and caused him to stagger. Rampage was ready to attack again, but this time, Azazer was already aware. He quickly drew his rifle and shot a large bullet. It hit on impact and before she knew it, Rampage froze in her tracks; literally. Slowly, she was being engulfed in an ice cube starting from her feet and incasing her up to her head. She was completely frozen. The group was shocked. The two that were the most surprised were Ransack and Ravage. "How do you like my Crystal Prison. You should consider it on honor as I rarely use it."

"Rampage!" Ransack called in concern.

"Damn you!" Ravage yelled.

"Now, it is time for her to die," Azazer said as he pointed the gun to the frozen Rampage.

"Not on my watch, maggot!" Albel shouted as he rushed to her aid. When Azazer turned around, he saw a large wave coming straight at him. The attack connected and sent the security chief back.

"Albel!" exclaimed both Ransack and Ravage in surprise.

"You, hurry up and thaw out the wench," Albel order Ravage. He then turned his attention to Ransack. "You're with me."

"Let's go," Ransack said.

"Just stay out of my way." Both Ransack and Albel rushed over at Azazer. Azazer started firing multiple rounds from his gun, but they missed. Then, he made an overhand strike at Albel, but the Glyphian's speed made it difficult to land the hit. Albel countered attacked with Palm of Destruction. A large ball of light was fired at Azazer, delivering considerable damage. Then he began with multiple strikes with his katana, causing more damage. Ransack slashed at Azazer from the side with her Tri-Edge blades, adding to the injury. Ransack signaled to Albel that she was going to use her special attack. She charged straight at Azazer and stabbed. Then she jumped up into the air and slashd downward with both blades at the same time. Last but not least, she finished her move off with numerous slashes and stabs at Azazer, causing him to fall down. The move she used was called Torment Stream, and it was enough to weaken Azazer.

"Ha!" Azazer scoffed. "Was that... all you got...?"

"No it's not!" a voice yelled. It was none other than Rampage and she was pissed and shivering from the affects of the Crystal Prison. "You won't get away with what you did. Your ass is mine!" With that said and a scowl on her face, Rampage was ready to finish off the already tired Azazer. She ran straight at Azazer with her halberd spinning in her left hand. By the time she was in range, she passed it to the next hand, but not before slashing Azazer. Then she started spinning it in the other. She did this about four times before she finished the move with a powerful stab to the ground that caused a large tremor. It was her Quake Revolution, and it spelled defeat for Azazer. Albel jumped up at the airborne Azazer and swung his claw and blade at him, knocking him behind his desk. The battle was over.

"That was fun," Ravage said. "Rampage, you alright?"

Rampage was still shivering. "Oh I don't know. How about you turn a popsicle and I can ask you!" she sneered.

"Pathetic wenches..." Albel said under his breath.

"Oh, Albel," Rampage said with a quick change of tone. "I am indebted to you. Please let me know if there is any way to make it up to you."

"Whoa, easy there, girl," Cyrus said as she was pulling her away from certain death.

"You won't... get away... with this," a weak voice said. The group turned their attention to a dying Azazer who was clinging on to his desk.

"So, do you give up, or do you want some more?" Roger said as he drew his ask.

"You insolent... data forms... You will not get away... with this..."

"Oh yeah?" Maria said. "And what are you going to do?"

"This... Insolent bugs..." Azazer, still clinging on with the last of his strength began typing various commands on his console. Suddenly, a siren began blaring. "Don't... think you've... won... dysfunctional... fools!" With that said, Azazer slid off the desk. It was clear, Azazer was dead.

"Great, it's the security system!" Cliff said.

"There's no turning back now," Maria said.

"That's right," Cyrus agreed. "We've come a long way to get where we're at now. It's time to finish this."

"We'll go to the research department," Fayt said. "Once we're there, we can find the main terminal that controls the Eternal Sphere and smash it to pieces."

"Primitive, yet effective nonetheless," Nel said.

"Then let's get to that machine," Cyrus said.

The group left the room and began their search for the department. Cyrus was listening to "Rampart Isle" from Musashi: Samurai Legend as they searched through the floors. On the way, the party fought the security robots and soldiers that were in their paths. It felt like a few hours as the group fought their way through the hordes. When they arrived on the fifth floor, the group found themselves stuck. "Damn it!" Fayt shouted. "This door's locked. It won't budge!"

"What?" The group replied in unison.

"Man," Cliff began. "These guys are like roaches. There's always one and then another appears... There's no end to them."

"I'm pretty sure the Wicked over here would use maggots or worms, instead," Cyrus said.

"What was that, fool?"

"Nothin'."

"Well, we got to the research section. All that's left is to find the main office in charge of the Eternal Sphere."

"Easier said than done," Rampage said.

"She's right," Sophia said. "Most of the doors we tried were locked tight."

"Perhaps there's a key around here," Fayt figured. "If we could find it..."

Suddenly, one of the doors to the hall opened. "No time for that," Maria said. "We have company."

"Freeze!" a rough voice shouted. The group looked forward and saw a squad of Security soldiers with their weapons drawn and ready.

"It seems that the door wasn't our only concern," Ravage said.

"This is not good at all!" Peppita said.

"Oh no!" Sophia shouted. "They're behind us too!"

"What?" Fayt said in disbelief.

"You gotta be kiddin' me?" Cyrus said in disbelief. Sure enough, there was another large squadron. Both routes were blocked by the large horde of soldiers.

"We're trapped!" Nel said.

"This is already looking like some showdown in L.A.!" Cyrus pointed out. "And in the immortal words of Rodney King 'can't we all just get along?'" They began hearing more sounds of the guard's rifles readying. Cyrus grew a blank expression on his face.

"Did that answer your question?" Ransack asked.

"It was more than I needed to know."

"With this many soldiers, we won't be able to fight them all," Maria said.

"Don't say that," Cliff replied. "You're starting to bum me out."

"These maggots don't scare me!" Albel said.

"Well then, homies. It's time to fight. To the bitter end."

Suddenly, out of either good luck or good timing, the door behind Fayt opened and a woman with they usual 4D robes appeared. "Get inside and hurry!" she ordered. The group began entering the room Even with the multiple gunshots firing at them. A combination of Ice Daggers, Frozen Daggers, Scatter Beam, Fire Bolt and Air Slash kept the guards at bay before the last of the group entered in the room. As soon as even came in, the woman quickly shut the door locked.

"Yes!" Peppita said.

"We made it," Roger said in gratitude.

"Can you say 'score'!" Cyrus replied. In joy, Cyrus began doing a flare, Roger started spinning on the top of his head and Peppita started dancing.

"I agree, it was pretty close," the unknown woman said.

"Thank you for helping us out," Sophia said.

"Yes," Ravage replied. "You have our sincerest gratitude."

"But who are you anyway?" Fayt asked.

"Isn't it wise for one to introduce themselves before acknowledging another person, Fayt Leingod?" she asked wryly. Fayt was speachless. "Any who, I'm Blair Lansfield, one of the researchers in charge of development of the Eternal Sphere."

"Wait, Blair..." Maria said as she was trying to remember where she heard that name. "Oh yeah..."

"You're that kid's comrade," Cyrus said.

"That's right," Blair replied. "Flad, the boy you met in Arkives, is a friend of mine."

"You mean you're his friend?" Ransack asked.

"Yes. Flad has been concerned about you, ever since you left Arkives. In some ways, this is exciting for him, too." Blair looked at the door and worry was painted on her face. "We can't talk here. Come with me."

"Huh?" Cliff said.

"What's wrong?" Nel asked.

"Though the locks here are strong, they're not impenetrable, especially by management," Blair explained. "The rooms up ahead have security systems that are tighter. That's where the other's are."

"The other's?" Ransack asked.

Blair shook her head. "Please, this way." She led the group down the halls to a larger room with various consoles. "These are the others that help maintain the Eternal Sphere."

"I am Shar Zeit," a woman with green hair said. "I'm in charge of scenario and progress development."

"And I'm her sister, Leirna," another woman with the same features said. "I maintain and develop the flag events that occur in the game."

"My name is Oreas Rumac," a tall, dark blue-haired man introduced. "I'm the one behind the graphics of the Eternal Sphere."

"The name's Aire. Aire Duxis," a smaller man, also with dark blue-hair said. "I keep charge of character parameters inside the Eternal Sphere."

"Our pleasure," Nel said. "And I'm pretty sure you already know our identity."

"Can please tell us what's going on?" Fayt asked.

"And what are going to do, eh?" Roger asked as he pulled out his axe.

Ravage hushed him. "Calm down," she ordered.

"Don't worry we're not here to do anything to you," Blair reassured. "The truth of the matter is, we would like to offer our services."

"What do you mean by offer your services?" Albel questioned with suspicion.

"We don't think it wise to interfere in the Eternal Sphere," Aire said. "Even if unexpected occurrences like these arise, our job is not to dwell in such matters."

"That is true," Shar agreed. "Sending the Executioners in was not only unnecessary innitiative, but highly reckless."

"We believe that the Eternal Sphere is actually a parallel world-one we created with our own hands," Blair said. "However, the life-forms that exist in there are now able to think and react on their own. Now that it has become it own reality, that is why we feel we should not interfere. The only difference between you and I is the dimensions we exist in."

"I see you've had a major influence on Flad," Maria said.

"Yes, but I doubt his mother is very pleased."

"That's for sure," Cliff said under his breath.

"So you're tellin' me that the big guys up stairs want to shut us down cause we gots the smarts?" Cyrus asked.

"I'm afraid so," Blair answered.

"Now that's just restriction gone too far," Ravage said.

"We considered that the Eternal Sphere data should be transferred to a museum, where its contents are safe from interference," Aire said.

"We are also trying to figure out a way to stop the Executioners," Shar replied. "We believe something must be done with these foes bent on destroying your galaxy."

"We will not turn you over to the Security Department without a fight, for we feel a common bond with you," Blair said.

"Of course," Sophia said.

"Makes sense," Cliff replied.

"An ingenious method, nonetheless," Cyrus said.

"You were saying you had a plan to stop the Executioners, right?" Maria asked.

"Yes," Blair said.

"So what do you have in mind?"

"During the time the Executioners appeared in the system, we were able to study their data," Aire said. "With our research, we were able to prepare this uninstaller." He gives the large device to Sophia. "That device does will not affect the original forms in the Eternal Sphere like yourselves. It's only function is to disable newer units, such as the Executioners. Despite their grandiose name and pretentious abilities, they too are programs."

"Alright, that sounds like a good plan," Ransack said.

"Yeah, only one issue," Cyrus said. "There are a few of us that are from other dimensions."

"Cyrus is right," Maria said. "If what you say is true, wouldn't they also be deleted."

"Ah yes, we've heard of you," Shar said. "You're the one trying to take down that other entity, correct?"

"Yes," Cyrus said. "And so are Ransack, Rampage and Ravage. We're from different worlds in different dimensions."

"Hello," Rampage said in a simple tone while waving her hand.

"I'm pretty sure it won't effect you," Blair said.

"Why is that?" Ransack asked.

"We've scanned your character units and found out that you are rapidly assimilating the Eternal Sphere data. It seems your very molecular structures are being stabilized as melded into character data.."

Ransack scratched her head in confusion. "What's that mean?" she asked.

"She means we're becoming part of the Eternal Sphere as much as Fayt and the others already are," Ravage clarified.

"Oh. We'll that seems okay."

"And that's also how Lystara is surviving," Cyrus said to them.

"Perhaps," Ransack said in agreement.

"But if you had this uninstaller thing all this time, than why didn't you use it?" Cliff asked.

"The uninstaller has some limitations," Blair said. "The Executioner program was designed not only to wipe out the Milky Way, but to keep us from directly interfering. Because of this, that was why we weren't able to use the uninstaller, it works inside the Eternal Sphere."

"So you have the medicine, but you weren't able to deliver," Ravage said. "That's a good reason."

"Is that all?" Sophia asked. "If it is, then all we have to do is go back to our dimension and turn it on."

"Unfortunately, entry into the Milky Way is strictly forbidden," Shar said. "Access with the general terminals are currently blocked until the Executioners program is completed."

"Yeah, but–"

"We were able to enter using the terminal in Gemity," Fayt pointed out.

"All thanks to Maria and Sophia over here," Peppita said.

"Yes, you are unique," Aire said. "I don't know how, but you were able to breach through the firewall. You have the ability to enter through the barrier of time and space that separates our dimensions. It is uncomprehensible, but the fact remains: it works."

"Believe us, you don't know half of it," Cyrus said.

"It makes sense," Maria said.

"Care to share, Maria?" Cliff asked.

"You're pretty dense. The reason we can take the uninstaller to the Eternal Sphere is because we're the only ones able to go right now."

"Exactly," Blair said. "Since our goals are the same, I believe none of you have any objections."

"Yeah, we're cool," Cyrus said.

"But will using the uninstaller really destroy the Executioners?" Fayt asked.

"It will," Aire said. "You can count on it."

"Besides, Blair was the one who programmed it after all," Shar said. "She's the best-or at least second best-programmer in the entire company."

"I'm not sure of best or second best of anything," Blair said humbly. "I just make the best programs I can."

"Alright," Fayt said. "You have our trust."

"Thank you."

"Well now that's settled, how do we get back to the Eternal Sphere?" Cliff asked.

"Can't we just go to Gemity?" Rampage asked.

"I'm afraid that's impossible," Aire said. "The connections to any stations have been sealed off. The most probable reason is to keep you in."

Albel scoffed. "So we're trapped here by those maggots."

"So then how do we get out?" Roger asked.

"You can use the terminals here," Blair said.

"You have terminals in this building, too?" Maria asked.

"Yes, but there is a small problem: their location."

"What do you mean?" Ransack asked. "It can't be that difficult."

"I'm afraid it is," Aire said. "The terminals to the Eternal Sphere are in the highest-security block within this building."

"There's no denying that Security has beefed up their presence."

"Leave it to the pigs to make things worse," Cyrus said.

"So that's it?" Maria asked. "There's nothing wrong with the terminals themselves?"

"No, there shouldn't be any problems," Blair said. "Or at least, none that I've heard of. There haven't been any new security enhancements either. It's always been reconfigured to restrict access to the Eternal Sphere. But since you were able to access before..."

"Then we'll be able to go back," Cliff said.

"Then there really isn't anything to worry about," Nel said.

"Exactly," Rampage replied. "With that word of advice, we'll be able to leave this building easily."

"So, Blair, can you tell us how to get to those terminals?" Fayt asked.

"The terminal is in the Owner's office on the top floor."

"Top floor. Got it. Alright everyone, let's go!"

Before the group could leave, Blair walked in front of them and said, "Wait! I'm going with you."

"You want to come?" Cyrus asked.

"What do you mean?" Aire asked.

"I hate to say it, but you won't be able to make it up to the top floor. The security measures will be too much for you to proceed. I won't be useful in a fight, or any help in the Eternal Sphere, but I can help you while you are still here."

"So what's the point of you coming with us, maggot?" Albel said.

Cyrus shook his head. "Please excuse Albel. He has a few... issues." Albel gave a death glare to Cyrus, sending a shiver down his back. He shook it off. "Anyway, I think it's cool that you want to come with us."

"We could use her help, after all."

"Yeah," Cliff said. "We don't really know much about this place. We shouldn't turn down help when it's offered to us."

"That's true," Ransack said.

"It's settled," Fayt said. "Thank you for your offer."

"You can count on me," Blair said. "Now, this way." The group followed her to a door on the other side of the room. "We should use the large elevator outside this door. From there, you will be able to reach the terminal on the top."

"Lead the way," Rampage said. It took around a few minutes as they went through a few passage ways. At the end of the hall, the crew arrived in a large room with a large elevator in the middle.

As soon as they entered, a loud blast was heard and the room began to shake violently. "What the hell–?" Ransack asked.

"What is that?" Sophia interupted.

"Oh great..." Maria said. "This is already beginning to sound like loads of fun."

"'Very disappointing, Blair,'" a voice bellowed. "'I knew that you and I had different ideals, but I never would have thought you would become a traitor.'"

"Wait, that voice..." Blair said. "Owner! Please listen to me!"

"'I hate to loose you, but you leave me no other choice. If the main cause of the infection is not handled with properly, the problem will spread. It will contaminate what is still uncorrupted. In order to stop this, precedence must be made."

"Please, owner!"

"And you, Cyrus, I would never of thought you would also betray me."

The group looked at him with shock. "Don't tell me it's true!" Fayt said.

"You mean..." Peppita couldn't finish her sentence.

"Please tell me he's wrong," Nel said.

"No way!" Cyrus retorted.

"'I lent you my services in order for you to survive within the Eternal Sphere," the Owner said. "You complied by helping me defeat the virus. I see that you have broken our agreement.'"

"Hold the phone, home boy?"

"So, you've turned on us since the get go, Cyrus," Rampage said. "If that is your real name."

"You don't understand. I would never turn my back on anyone!"

"Then why in the hell did you agree to work with him?" Cliff said as he was ready to attack, but was held back by Sophia and Nel.

"I did what I had to do! He knew about what was going on, especially about Lyst, that we knew nothing 'bout. Without that info, and the stuff he gave to us, we wouldn't have come this far. And it's not like I had a choice!"

"Cyrus..." Fayt said.

"Please, Owner!" Blair said struck down with terror.

"What's wrong?" Fayt asked.

"It appears our plans have been realized. I'm afraid Luther, the Owner, has decreed our deleted. Both you and myself."

"No way!" Roger replied.

Suddenly, loud bangs were heard behind a sealed door. "Something's coming!" Peppita said.

"I'm getting a bad feeling about this," Nel said.

"You and me both," Ransack said.

Suddenly, the door opened and a strong gust was blown at the group. Sophia screamed in terror and Blair's face was in fear. Two figures were behind the doorway. One of the men of a large man with short black hair and a pony tail on the back of his head. He took large steps toward the group and began looking around the room. "Berial..." Blair said.

The other was smaller and skinny. He had blonde hair and looked like he wore lipstick and mascara. "Well, well Blair, it seems you've been caught," he said with a smile on his face. "Did you really think you could do whatever you wanted in that head of yours."

"Belzeber, I see you haven't changed a bit."

"Who are these guys?" Ravage asked.

"They're the top managers here at Sphere. Belzeber is the son of Sphere's earlier owner. Berial is the general director of the Eternal Sphere project."

"What a pity," Belzeber replied. "It seems the Owner has decided to delete you as well. You have disobeyed the owner, even though you knew the risks." With that said, Belzeber gave a light giggle.

"Since we have some history, we'll do you the favor by making your demise quick and painless," Berial replied with a small smirk and a thumbs up.

"You think you crack heads could stack up to us?" Cyrus replied. "No one's going out but you chumps!"

"Do you really think you have what it takes?" Belzeber asked as he lashed his electric whip.

"That's right!" Fayt said. "You don't have a chance against us."

"Really?" Berial said. "Then let's see it."

"Don't worry," Nel replied. "You will." Cyrus turned his MP3 Player to the "Main Theme" from the Matrix by Rage Against the Machines and sprouted his wings. He and the rest of the group pulled out their weapons and the battle began. Cyrus and Nel took on Belzeber while Fayt kept Berial distracted. Nel used her Shadow Wave on the GD, knocking him down to the ground and giving Cyrus the time to activate his Darkness Blade. Wielding a blade engulfed in darkness, Cyrus charged at the enemy. But Belzeber moved out the way and lashed at the him with his electric whip. Cyrus was hit, but the attack didn't do much damage only knocked him back. In retaliation, Cyrus jumped toward Belzeber and used an overhanded slash before landing. To add to the injury, Nel used Lightning Blast, firing an electric current at Belzeber. Feeling the effects of the attacks, Belzeber staggered a little, but was still wanting to go on the offense. He ran head on at the two, whip flailing and changing from yellow to purple. Nel and Cyrus received large amounts of damage from the attack. They also felt a small tremor from one of Berial's projectiles, but paid no heed. Suddenly, the ground turned into a dark pool. They looked at Belzeber and saw that he was using Steal Life. The health of both the Aquarian and the shizznit were being drained by a small amount, slowly weakening them. As soon as the parasitic move ended, Cyrus began to his own attack: Dark Sphere. A pool of darkness spread on the ground where Belzeber stood and a large ball popped up. The ball began sucking itself up, along with the enemy's health. At the same time, Nel used Thunder Flare. A large cyclone of electric current began electrocuting at Belzeber. At the last zap, he was reduced to his last portion of energy. At the same time, both Nel and Cyrus jumped in the air and catapulted themselves straight at the weakened attacker. At the moment, Belzeber was down for the count.

The two hurried to Fayt to help take care of Berial. The good news was that Fayt managed to keep the his opponent busy enough for the cavalry to show up. The bad news was that the missiles from Berial's rocket launcher had already blew up the elevator. Berial was about to charge at the blue-haired swordsman with his Fire Dance, but Nel cancelled the move with her Flying Guillotine. Before Cyrus could attack, he noticed that the Abysmal Offender was flashing red and blue. He was ready to use a new attack. Cyrus began doing a flare, but then, a wall of water had produced around him and began delivering damage to Berial. The group was in shock as they have seen that move somewhere before. "Was that–?" Cliff started.

"That's one of Stratus' moves!" Maria said in shock. "That was the Water Cyclone Flash!"

"But how?" Sophia replied.

Fayt, Nel and Cyrus began slashing at Berial. However, Berial moved back quickly and fired his rocket launcher upward with his Auto-Aim. Cyrus was able to slice the three projectiles in half with his light saber before they exploded. All three opponents were rushing at the enemy and started delivering blows. Cyrus started punching and kicking, Fayt began slashing with his Divine Offender, and Nel used Lightning Blast. The overwhelming combination of attacks was quickly weakening Berial. The three decided to end it with Coup-de-Gras. Fayt attacked with Shotgun Blast, sending down an explosive wall down at Berial. Nel used Poison Cloud, she kicked up a cloud of green gas and threw it at the foe. The last was Cyrus, however he used another shocking attack. His body was engulfed in a large light. The next thing that was seen was a streaking blur and the sound of a blade as Cyrus passed Berial's body. In about a few seconds, Berial collapsed on the ground. "That can't be!" Fayt said in disbelief.

"That was Shining Strike!" Nel replied in the same shock

Before anything else was said, Belzeber rose on his hands and knees. Though defeated, he let out a faint laugh. "That uninstaller... is useless..." he said in his last words. "You're too... late... The owner has already..." before he could finish his sentence, Belzeber choked and collapsed to the ground.

"What do you mean?" Fayt asked as he pulled the already deceased man by the collar. Maria put her fingers on his neck to see if there was a pulse. She shook her head.

"...I thought it was all clear," Blair said. "But after witnessing what I just saw, I'm starting to have my doubts."

"Your doubts about what?" Nel asked.

"Your abilities you have. It's astounding how you can defeat both Belzeber and Berial. Not only that, but the fact that you're also able to use symbology here as well is remarkable. But how?"

"Are you nervous?" Maria questioned. "You haven't had second thoughts? Do you think we should be... deleted?"

"Don't misjudge me," Blair replied sternly.

"I'm sorry."

Blair understood and smiled. "It's fine. I hope you understand."

"But now that we're all done here, what's next?" Cliff asked.

"That little brawl has turned the elevator into ruins," Ransack said as the group looked back at their first plan to the top.

"Any ideas?" Roger asked.

"There is one other way," Blair said. "Unfortunately, the place will be swarming with enemies."

"You think we're scared of a few guys in black?" Cliff asked. "We have to deal with a bratty kid and a gender confused psychopath for crying out loud."

"Who's the bratty kid, ya lummox?" Roger shouted.

"Call me gender confused one more time, worm, and I swear you'll be nothing but ribbons!" retorted an angry Albel.

Everyone started ignoring the threats of the trio. "I guess if that's the only way, then what choice do we have?" Fayt said.

"True," Maria said.

"Besides, with all the enemies we fight, we'll just grow stronger," Ravage said.

"And the only thing that stops those three from getting on each other's throats is by getting on the enemies," Cyrus said.

"Please show us," Nel said to Blair.

She led the group over to another room in the same floor. All that was there was a large device. "What's this contraption supposed to be?" Albel asked.

"This is the system that controls the elevator," Blair replied. "I just need to turn it on and..." Blair began typing various keys on the console. In a minute, the device was activated. "Okay, now we can use the pads near the staircase of this floor." They left the room and followed Blair back to the staircase.

"Cyrus," Fayt said as they walked.

"Yo. Somethin' wrong?"

"Not really. It's just... Those attacks you used... aren't they Stratus'?"

Cyrus sighed. "Yes they are. Fayt, you know the old equation: a half and a half equal a whole. You could say that Stratus and I are different halves of the same person, light and dark. And ever since we merged, that's how I'm able to use his abilities."

"But aren't you afraid something might happen?" Peppita asked when she turned around and walked backwards. "After all, he may have done something terrible."

"Of course I am, but it's not like I had a choice. After all, the only reason I'm still here was because Stratus became a part of me once more."

"That's true." Fayt said.

"Plus, I shouldn't be scared anyway. I'm from the mean streets, for cryin' out loud. I've seen scarier things that would make a man like Cliff cry, and disturbing shit that would even make Albel want to puke. In sho't, it was not fo' the squeamish."

Albel heard the comment and scoffed. "Yeah right, maggot," he replied.

By the time everyone came to the elevator, Blair programmed it to transfer them to floor 211. Despite the enemies they faced, everyone, including Blair, was safe. They arrived in a large room filled with pod like structures and a large control console in the center. "So this must be..." Ransack said in awe.

"Yes," Blair said. "This is the terminal room. Blair walked over to the terminal and began activating the pods. "Okay. It appears the one in the middle is the only one able to access the Milky Way."

"Ok," Fayt said. "We're counting on you."

"Thank you, Blair," Maria said. "We'll save the Eternal Sphere. Don't worry."

"You really saved the day," Cliff said. "Thanks to you, we could pull this off."

"We'll never forget your kindness and guidance," Nel said. "Leave it to us."

"Sorry we made all the trouble," Peppita replied. "We'll be sure to give it our best."

"...We owe you," Albel said.

"I don't really understand," Roger said. "But I do know that our world will be saved 'cause of you."

"Um, Blair," Sophia said. "...Thank you for everything. We'll never forget it."

"You not only risked your job, but your very existence was on the line," Ransack said. "For that, you have our respect."

"We'll handle everything," Rampage said. "It's in good hands."

"You proven yourself a worthy ally," Ravage said. "We'll miss you."

"Don't worry, Blair," Cyrus assured. "We're gonna give 'em a whoopin' they'll never forget."

"Blair, thanks for everything," Fayt said and shook her hand.

"Don't give up," Blair said. "Only you can save your reality."

"All right."

"Farewell to you all," Blair said. "Goodbye and good luck..."

The group went to the terminal and waved to Blair. Blair typed in her access password and activated the pod. The group was engulfed in a large light and vanished. They were know heading back to planet Styx in the Milky Way galaxy.

* * *

Author's Note 3: The story is now ready to go into its last chapters. Can you feel the drama?

* * *


	21. Chapter 20

Part 20.1: A Mighty Wrath

On the planet Styx, Fayt Sophia and Cyrus were the first to step foot from the Time Gate. Unfortunately, the trio were also the first to know that they were ambushed. Standing in wait in front of the Time Gate were a large number of smaller Proclaimers. "Dammit!" Cliff shouted in disgust as everyone drew out their weapons. "These pests are everywhere!"

"They must've known we were coming," Ransack said.

"Sophia, go turn on the uninstaller," Fayt said.

"Okay..." she complied.

"Let's turn these suckers out!" Cyrus shouted as he turned him MP3 Player on to "Glowing Cloud" from Baten Kaitos. The group began fighting Executioners. They fought their way through the mass of enemies with their most powerful attacks. In the end, it came down to one large, and very powerful Enforcer that roared. "Sophia, what's the status?" Ravage asked.

"I'm sorry!" Sophia replied. "I need more time! Hang on!"

"Well hurry it up, maggot!" Albel hastened.

Ravage, Albel and Cliff went on the offensive against the massive Executioner while the others held back the rest of the opposition. By the time the trio were in range to use their attacks, they were knocked into the air as a system of bars that hit them hard. Cliff, who was still airborne, plummeted at the enemy with a powerful stomp. It was Aerial Assault and it was enough to cause the Enforcer to loose some of its balance. The unit retaliated however, by calling upon a large red sphere which fired beams. Cliff was caught in the attack, and was weakened. Before the enemy could finish him off, it was hit by an Air Slash by Albel. The Enforcer turned around and started up its symbological attack, Dark Sphere. Albel quickly got out of the attack's range and used another Air Slash. The Enforcer headed toward the swordsman, but was stopped by Ravage and a fast slash from her tiger claws. Then she inflicted more blows with Torture Rage. Each slash was weakening the Executioner. Unfortunately, it didn't weaken it enough. The Enforcer turned around and unleashed its Destruction. A large red orb was built up in front on the enemy and dispersed, firing swirling beams of red, blue and yellow at Ravage. Unable to do anything, she was hit hard by the blast and flown backward. Cliff revitalized Ravage with potions and attacked together with Albel. Cliff used his Fists of Fury, hitting the enemy with multiple strong punches. Ravage used her Torture Rage, slice viciously with her claws. Albel delivered relentless strikes with his Double Slash, using a powerful up and down motion with his katana. Overwhelmed by the attacks, the Executioner activated its last attack known as Disaster, growing a red orb in each hand. As soon as they burst, laser were spread. Luckily, the three avoided the attack. After the last Fist of Fury, the Enforcer was defeated.

"Tell me you're done now, miss?" Roger whined.

After typing a few commands, the uninstaller was ready to activate. "It's ready!" she called.

"Then start that thing up!" Ransack said.

Sophia quickly activated the sequence. The ground below everyone began to shake. "What's that?" Fayt said. Sophia staggered forward a few steps as the Time Gate began to react. They saw a large sphere of data gathering above the portal. It released large, concentrated beams of energy. As each beam moved above the group, grid blocks were seen in the sky along with a large symbol appearing. During the light show, the sounds of Executioners were heard throughout the land. The group witnessed the Executioners that attacked them were glowing and slowly disappearing. It was clear, the uninstaller was working. Slowly, the enemy numbers were shrinking until the land showed the signs of a usual planetary wasteland. When it was all over, the crew searched the landscape. Nothing. The only forms of life in the area were themselves.

"Where did they go?" Ravage asked.

"There's only one conclusion I can draw up," Nel said. "It seems the Executioners have been destroyed."

"Really?" Peppita said trying to contain her excitement.

"Do you think it's over, Fayt?" Sophia asked.

"It looks like it is..." he said.

"I wonder what happened to the Owner?" Roger asked.

"Who cares," Cliff replied. "The Executioners are finally gone. It's over, we won."

"So it seems..." Cyrus said as he looked up into the sky.

"I believe the term is 'mission accomplished'," Nel said.

"Yeah, whatever," Albel replied in a stoic fashion.

"I guess it's time to go back home," Fayt said.

"Okay," Sophia said.

Everyone was ready to leave the area. That was, until another earthquake started. "What the–" Fayt couldn't finish what his sentence.

"What the hell's happening?" Rampage said during the shock.

"That was no regular earthquake, guys," Maria said.

"I knew it!" Cyrus said. "And there's the source!" They looked up at the sky where Cyrus was pointing and saw another summon insignia appear.

"What's going on?" Fayt said. "What is this supposed to mean?"

"I don't get it?" Peppita shouted. "I thought we were done?"

"Then we thought wrong," Rampage said in a sour tone.

Everyone watched as the center of the symbol began to glow. "What IS this..." Maria said. Suddenly, a large, stitched up head popped out from the symbol.

"You gotta be kiddin'," Cliff muttered.

The creature jumped out of the sky and landed on its feet. It was around six feet tall and had six wings. It stood with its back straight with a stitched up appearance. The arms were long and tapering and the hands were quite big, barely touching the ground. It only showed one eye on it's face.

"That is one disgusting freak..." Roger said.

"Either way, we shouldn't take it lightly," Maria warned. "I sense power greater than anything we have faced."

"The force is strong with this one?" Cyrus replied.

"Fayt, what is that?" Sophia asked.

"I don't know," he said.

"_So now we meet, Convictor,"_ Cyrus thought. The enemy turned its head to Cyrus, making him cringe. But Cyrus quickly shook off the fear. _"Alright, I'll admit you're a little bugged out. But that don't mean we won't go down. You can count on it."_ With that thought made, Cyrus turned his MP3 Player on to "Dark Conviction" from Baten Kaitos and the battle began. The Convictor, kicked up tornadoes at the group. While most of the group avoided the attack, the ones that got caught in the winds were Sophia, Ravage and Roger. Fayt rushed back to see if Sophia was alright. The enemy cast more tornadoes, which took out Peppita, Albel and Rampage. The only ones that had enough energy to fight were Nel, Maria, Cyrus, Fayt, Cliff and Ransack. Nel used her Ice Daggers at the Executioner, but the attack had no effect whatsoever. Fayt slashed into it with his Blazing Sword. However, the Convictor caught it by the burning blade and threw him behind, where he landed on top of Nel. Ransack arrived and executed her Torment Stream. Each slash inflicted a good amount of damage. But the Executioner showed no signs of injury. As soon as Ransack completed her assault, the ground below her formed black smoke. Suddenly, she was struck down by red lightning. The hit was strong and Ransack was felt numbness in her leg. The Executioner swung its massive arm, hurling Ransack of few feet to the side. It moved in closer, ready to make a final strike. However, Cyrus got in between the Executioner and Ransack, his wings spread wide to reveal the black and red for intimidation. At that moment, he went for the Rocksteady. Cyrus punched the Executioner a couple of times then he delivered a powerful spin kick. The move was continued with a flare and then he kicked his feet up, knocking the Executioner to the ground. Cyrus performed one last flare before jumping off the ground and stomping on the Convictor's chest. It seemed that the foe was defeated. That was before it rose up and used Aeroblast. The creature was shrouded in a large hurricane. The Convictor charged through the group with the strong twister, causing considerable damage to the team members nearby, and tearing up the skin on Cyrus' wings when it passed by. However, when the Executioner charged toward Maria, she quickly used her Magnetic Field, slowing down the enemy as well as weakening it. She quickly leapt backward and fired Pulse Blast. She shot several laser balls at the Convictor. In retaliation, the Convictor whipped up a couple hurricanes and discharged the winds at the Quark leader. She was able to dodge the attack, but just barely. Cliff ran up from behind and began using Fists of Fury. The series of punches were crippling the enemy unit. The attack was strong enough to make the monster fall hard on its back. When the Convictor rose and ready to attack with another lightning strike, Fayt and Cyrus double teamed using Side Kick and Raptor's Revenge. With the vicious kicks made, the Convictor was immobile. The two glared it down. In a few seconds, the Convictor met its demise as it collapsed upon the ground. Everyone started healing each other, though they still felt the effects of pain and fatigue.

"Holy shit..." Ransack replied in exhaustion.

"That was just too close..." Maria said.

"You finally read my mind, worm," Albel said.

"I can't believe it," Cliff replied. "That thing was smaller than the rest, but even more powerful!"

"It's like fighting a Chihuahua with the viscousness of a T-Rex," Cyrus said.

"'Hello!" a familiar voice said. "'Is anyone there?'"

"What the..." Peppita said as he and everyone turned to the Time Gate. To everyone's surprise, it was Blair.

"Blair?" Fayt and Sophia replied.

"You're okay," Blair said in relief. "I was so worried."

"It's good to see you too," Ravage said.

"Blair, what just happened?" Fayt asked.

"It seems we were have been deceived," Blair said.

"Deceived?" Nel said. "But how?"

"I'm getting real confused here," Roger replied.

"You mind filling us in?" Cliff asked.

"You are going to do that," Rampage said. "Are you?"

"Of course," Blair said. "I believe the Owner knew our next move and countered it."

"That can't be!" Sophia said.

"I'm afraid so. He knew we would use the uninstaller so he created a security system that activates once the program was operated."

"That would explain the new Executioner we faced," Fayt said.

"You already encountered it?"

"Encounter's a brief visit for some drinks," Cyrus said. "That sucka wanted to stay for the entire feast."

"What Cyrus is saying is that we just finish it off," Cliff translated.

"You mean it's been defeated?" Blair asked.

"Yes, but it was very tough," Fayt said. "It took half of us down in a few minutes."

"What in the hell was that thing?" Rampage asked.

"That was the newest Executioner unit known as the Convictor," Blair explained. "Their powers rival those of the Proclaimers and the Enforcers you've faced so far. Though they're smaller than their kin, their combat parameters are off the charts. If something isn't done soon, the galaxy will be destroyed at a quicker rate than it is now!"

"Why are the freakiest things always the hardest to kill...?" Ransack asked herself.

"What can we do?" Sophia asked.

"The activation left traces in your dimension. If I'm correct, that would mean the Owner was in your dimension when the process first started and he's still here as we speak."

"So what are we supposed to do?" Rampage asked.

"I'll tell you. You need to go to the Owner and reason with him. I have a feeling that the universe will be spared if you can persuade him to shut off the security program."

"But do you think he'll really listen?" Peppita asked.

"Who knows?" Maria said. "If we have to, we'll use force."

"Damn straight," Cyrus said.

"I'm afraid it won't be easy," Blair said.

"What do you mean?" Cliff asked.

"The owner has probably separated himself into a different spacial plane. You would need an intervention, or ID, to device to go there."

"And what exactly is an ID?" Nel asked.

"That would be what the people in your universe call an 'Out-of-Place Artifact' correct? They are highly rare and are found in any part of the galaxy. They're used in the Eternal Sphere as debugging devices. There power is insurmountable, especially when used by people in the Eternal Sphere who know how to evoke their abilities. There are different kinds of many shapes and sizes. There purpose is dependent upon their developer."

"So in other words, we need to comb the entire Milky Way to find an object that looks like anything?" Cliff asked.

"We might as well just lay here and wait for life as we know it to end," Rampage said. "There's no way we can find such a reclusive item in time."

"Let me take a look," Blair said as she began typing on a console. "The OPA appears to be a small silver orb. Though it has virtually no special effect, its power is astounding. I think I maybe able to pinpoint its location."

As Blair began her research, the crew began to gather. "Did she say silver orb?" Maria asked.

"That's what I heard," Rampage said.

"And from the sound of it, there can't be more than just one," Peppita asked.

"I'm guessing you guys already know?" Sophia asked.

"There is a good possibility," Nel said.

"Besides, what else do we have to go on?" Cyrus said. "We need to take our chances."

Fayt turned to Blair and asked, "Blair, you did say it was a silver orb, right?"

"Yes, I did."

"Was it around this wide and this tall?" Cliff asked as he scaled with his hands.

"And did it have a neat polished finish with a streak free shine?" Cyrus added.

"Yes," Blair said. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I think we just hit the jackpot."

"Do you think its on my planet, Elicoor II?" Nel asked.

"Let me see..." Blair said as she began searching the planet. "Yes. This is it!"

"I knew it," Maria replied.

"But, how...?"

"Because we saw it."

"You see, we were there to protect it from those Vendeeni guys," Roger said. "It's called the Sacred Orb."

"I see..." Blair said astounded. "With that Sacred Orb in your possession, you should be able to link with the separated space."

"Okay. Thanks Blair," Fayt said. He turned and faced the group. "It seems we're heading back to Elicoor II."

"All right!" Peppita said in cheer.

"Let's go," Nel said.

"It's time to move," Cyrus replied.

"Wait," Blair said, catching them before they left.

"Something wrong?" Ransack asked.

"I have to tell you. As soon as you find the Sacred Orb, only you can touch it, Sophia."

"Huh?" Sophia said in confusion. "Why me?"

"The OPA's were devices placed only for 4D Beings to use and configured to be useless for anyone that got their hands on it for any purpose. However, based on what I have witnessed, I believe you are the only one capable of using it."

"Okay..."

"Once it reacts, think of me and this place. That should be able for you to get in contact with me."

"Okay, I'll try." Sure to remember Blair's advice, the group continued their trek from the area. Unfortunately when they arrived, the party saw a nasty surprise. "What the hell..." Cliff said as he scanned the area. The entire landscape was different then when they first stepped foot on the planet. Paths were blocked or broken, newer trenches were formed, and above all, new enemies scoured the scene.

"Tell me this was like this when you guys left..." Roger said.

"Unfortunately, no," Cyrus replied.

"It must have been that earthquake earlier," Maria said.

"I hope our shuttle's okay," Sophia said.

"Hey, I have an idea..." Cliff said. "Cyrus, maybe you can..."

"...Fly like a bat?" Cyrus said. "Sorry, but those fights back there really drained my energy and sliced my wings to ribbons. It'll take half a day for them to regenerate, unless you want to see the bony frames and torn up membranes..."

"We get the picture," Ransack said.

Fayt stepped forward and surveyed the area. "I guess we have no choice but to be careful and make sure we don't come across those Convictors again."

The group walked through the planet's wasteland. As they walked, Ransack looked at Cyrus and said, "Thank you."

Cyrus looked at her through the corner of his eye and arched his left eyebrow. "Um... what do you mean?"

"For helping me back there. That thing was zooming in for the kill. So thanks."

"Heh, it was nothing. After all, I'm sure that you would do the same for me, Ransack."

"That is for certain. After all, we can't afford to loose anyone. We need all the strength we can muster if we're going to take on those beings."

Cyrus nodded in agreement. "For sure." Cyrus was silent for a second. "So Ransack... What was it like? I mean, your world and all before..."

"Yes. Well it was sort of a peaceful place, you see. Where I grew up was a large planet well known for its advanced technology and sciences. Unfortunately, that would completely change. One day, a being with tremendous power began terrorizing our world and the other planets in the system."

"Was it Lystara?"

"No it wasn't. In fact, it was a male."

"A male?"

"Yes. His clothes were pure white and he wore a smile that always gave an unsettling feeling. His power was extraordinary. He was able to wipe out a moon from one of our allied planets, in a blink of an eye. It was horrible, even for Ravage, for it was the moon from her planet."

"_White clothes...?" _Cyrus thought to himself._ "It could be anyone. But still..."_

"It was later revealed that he was Lystara's powerful commander. He led a group of unknown creatures against the galaxy, conquering every world and taking its essence. Our forces were strong enough for us to slip through their defenses and face Lystara via a special transportational system. However, our combined strength wasn't enough to end her madness. She was able to defeat us and at the same time, destroy our universe."

"I'm sorry." Cyrus was quiet. "Forgive me for asking Ransack, but did the dude that invaded your dimension use a sword and attack with water and light based attributes?"

"Yes, yes he did! In fact, one of his attacks was what he called Shining Slash. It was the same attack that he used to destroy the moon. How do you know?"

"_It really was Stratus..."_ Cyrus thought with a look of shock on his face.

"Well..."

"I guess I have to say it. Ransack, that guy you faced... His name was Stratus Slicer, my clone created by Lystara."

Ransack gasped in shock. "So that's why I thought I saw you before. But I didn't think it was possible."

"He was originally created to kill Maria because of her ability to manipulate matter. However, we destroyed him and some of his power is residing in me."

"So that's how you're able to use his moves."

"That's right."

"I see. Do you think that was the last time we'll ever see of Stratus?"

"I sure hope so. If what you say is true, then it's best that Stratus stays out of the picture."

The gang traversed through the terrain. The place was indeed full of Executioners, including the powerful Convictors. But the large numbers didn't effect the groups progress. They fought the enemies that were in the path. In a few hours, the reached their shuttle, the Calnus. Well, what was left anyway. The ship had found itself down the plateau where the group was standing, completely inoperable and destroyed. "This is just convenient..." Nel said when they approached the remains.

"What the hell do we do now?" Cliff asked.

"We're stuck on a barren planetoid in the middle of a dying galaxy, filled with an infinite number of formidable enemies," Ravage said.

"Everyone chizzout," Cyrus said. "True we're in deep, I ain't denyin'. But where there's a will, there's a way.

"I have an idea," Fayt said. "Maria, have there been any transmissions?"

"Let me check." Maria turned on her scanner and began searching for any available channels. Unfortunately, all the team heard was static.

Fayt groaned and kicked the dirt. "This is why we came all this way...?" he said in anger.

"Fayt..." Sophia said in despair.

"Wait a minute!" Maria said in a stunned tone. "I think I have something..." The transmission was muffled by interference, but Maria knew for sure who it was. "Marietta!"

"'Hey guys! I've got the Captain on the line!'" Marietta replied in delight. "Mirage, come here, quick!"

"This is Maria to Diplo. Please respond!"

"'I'm glad you're all okay'" Mirage said over the communicator. "'We were really worried.'"

"'When we lost contact with the Aquaelie, we had no idea what to think...'" Marietta responded.

"It's great that you made it, too," Maria said.

"Yeah, but it wasn't easy!"

"'Captain, you're okay!'" shouted an ecstatic cry from Lieber. "I'm so happy!"

"...Yeah," Maria said nervously. "But now's not the time for this. Can you guys pick us up!"

"'Roger,'" Mirage said.

"'But what happened to your shuttle?'" Marietta asked.

"Sorry, but there's no time to explain," Maria said. "We need pick-up, ASAP!"

"'Right away!'"

"'We'll see you soon,'" Mirage said.

"I'm counting on you guys," Maria replied. She turned off the transmitter and turned to the group. "The Diplo will be here shortly."

"That's great," Fayt said.

Cyrus went to the cliff and looked down at the Calnus. With his arms crossed, he kicked a stone from the edge to watch it fall and bounce off the ship. He then opened his wings to check their progress. The skin was slowly growing back, but they only reached half way between the bones and the red barely showed. Nel walked over to his side and said, "It's strange how everything's changed," she said.

"Tell me about it," Cyrus said. "It kinda seems that some our adventure was based on a strange case of deja vu."

"Deja vu?"

"It's a way of saying a series of coincidental events."

"Right. If you didn't arrive on Elicoor II by accident, the war between Airyglyph and Aquaria would still be waging. Plus we know that our key to salvation, the Sacred Orb, is also there."

"Lucky for us. So, how do you feel about going back to Elicoor"

"It's sudden, but necessary. It would be nice to make sure that Her Majesty is okay. Also to see how Clair and the others are doing." Cyrus nodded.

After a few minutes of talking and waiting, Maria received a call from her communicator. "'Sorry to keep waiting, Captain,'" Marietta said over the communication. "'You're being transported right now!" One by one, the group was being transported to the Diplo.

* * *

Author's Note 1: Next part is something special. You see, I have read a good share of romance fics myself. In Star Ocean, my favorites are in the Fayt x Nel, Fayt x Maria, Albel x Maria and a little Albel x Nel, too. However, when you see how other writers use Albel, its him with Nel most the time, or Fayt, or Cliff. Plus, there's numerous Albel x Sophia fanfics that have recently been made. Now don't get me wrong, I ain't saying anything bad. The worst case scenario would be Albel x Roger or Peppita (but hey, that's my opinion). Then you have the main category of Cliff x Mirage. I see why you would put them in a relationship. Cliff is like a sugar-driven kid more than half the time and can't be controlled while Mirage is there as the sedative. Also, the two have a lot in common, especially combat abilities. Now I don't know if this has either been used or if it was just too crazy to use, but how about an Albel x Mirage scene. I know a few of you are thinking 'this guy has really gone over board now' or 'WTF?' But let's think, not only is it a new spin to usual favorites, but it makes some sense. Both are strong in battles, both have a serious attitudes toward situations, and both try to keep Cliff from doing something dumb (Albel would want to kill him while Mirage would rather have him temporarily paralyzed, poor Mr. Fittir). They also have overlapping personas. Albel is a guy that would rather be solitary and does not care unless the emergency is linked somewhere to him. Mirage is a woman that is sociable and will help if it is in her power. So I thought, 'if you can have all of these people making Albel x Nel stories or what not and Cliff x Mirage, then why not an Albel x Mirage scene? However, since this is more or less an first time actually doing this, it will take time to add in the storyline. Perhaps it will even advance in the sequel too? (Man, I'm beginning to sound like that fake add from Kung Pow where they said there will be a second movie. Don't worry, the sequel for this story is quite real.) Enjoy the tidbit of Albel x Mirage somewhere here in Part 20.2.

* * *

Part 20.2: The Return to Elicoor

When everyone arrived on the ship, the gang hurried to the command deck. "Alright," Maria said. "It's great to be back. However, now's not the time for chit-chat. Mirage, how long will it take us to reach Elicoor II?"

"At maximum warp, about two hours," Mirage said.

Maria nodded. "Send us to Elicoor, max warp!"

"Roger." With Mirage pressing the various commands on the console, the ship was on route to Elicoor. For the time being, the crew explored the ship.

Cyrus, was doing the usual, eating a pound or two of chicken at the ship's cafeteria and telling the story about what happened after they left the Diplo. After his lunch, Cyrus strolled through the halls while singing to the lyrics from Big Punisher and Fat Joe's version of "Deep Cover". "Creep with me, as I cruise in my Beemer" he sang. "All the kids in the ghetto call me Don Cartagena. Kickin' ass as I blast off heat, and you never see me talk to police, so you should know that I really don't care. Pull you by the hair, slit your throat, and I'll leave you right there–" He then stopped singing and walking when he heard a familiar, sneering voice. He turned the MP3 Player down and looked around the corner. Sure enough, it was Albel. Cyrus spied another person who he didn't expect to see. It was Mirage holding a clipboard in her arm. He listened in on their conversation.

"I take it you're that worm's comrade?" Albel asked gruffly.

"If you mean Cliff, yes," Mirage answered in a casual tone. "I'm Mirage Koas." Albel only huffed. "You must be Albel Nox. It's a pleasure to meet 'the Wicked One' of Elicoor. Cliff told me about you."

"Is that right?" Albel said. "What exactly did the fool say?"

"Nothing. He said that you're a megalomaniacal jerk that wants to kill anyone that you see as either a fool, maggot or worm. He also said you don't know the difference between mens clothing and women's dresses." As soon as Mirage said that, Cyrus began chuckling, but made sure it wasn't loud enough for them to notice his presence.

"Damn that pompous fool," Albel hissed. "Where does he get off speak behind my back? That maggot will pay for such a cowardice show."

"However, he did tell me that you are quite strong and have been a great help through the journey."

Albel scoffed. "Tell me, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be fiddling around with those controls?"

"I don't need to. I only have to set Diplo on auto-pilot until we reach the destination. After that, I could check up on the other things on the ship."

"I see. Even if its not 4D technology, it is still more powerful than what I've seen on that boring world of mine."

"You don't sound to thrilled going back."

"You don't say, worm. With Vox gone and the war ending because of you maggots' interference, Airyglyph has become a dull and boring place. The only reason I agreed to join your party is so I can find some kind of challenge."

"I'm sure that will change once you return. Not only will you have the Executioners to deal with, but you'll also be a renowned hero."

"I don't need a title to know I'm the greatest. I am Albel the Wicked. But I guess you have a point. Perhaps that Creator everyone keeps talking about will prove to be some sport."

"Who knows. Maybe you'll find what you're looking for."

Albel snorted his "Bah," then left. Before he went upstairs, he heard Mirage called his name. "Something else you want to say, fool?"

"Yes. I'm proud to call you ally. Even though we just met, I believe Cliff was right about you. Who knows, we may be equals on the battlefield?"

"Hah. Didn't you hear me? I have no equal. Though, you are welcome to try, fool. But just stay out of my way." With that said, Albel continued his climb up the stairs. As soon as he left, Mirage smiled and left to continue her duties.

Cyrus walked to the place the two were talking and looked both in both directions where the two stand. _"That's strange," _Cyrus said. _"This is the first conversation I heard between Albel and another person where he didn't even use a mortal threat. Freaky..."_ Cyrus turned his towards him and saw Lancar peering around the corner. "Yo Lancar," Cyrus said as he came over.

The Klausian hushed Cyrus. "Not so loud," he said.

"What's going on?" Cyrus whispered.

"Just a little entertainment." Cyrus turned up an eyebrow at Lancar before he too peered around the corner. There in front of Maria's door, standing like a stiff, was Lieber.

"So, how long has the young Liebizzle been like that?"

"Ever since you guys came back and when Maria went to her room."

"You kinda have to feel sorry for that guy."

"I'll bet you a million fol that Lieber will open that door by himself."

Cyrus scoffed. "Look at the dude, he's as frozen as an ice cube. He's even shivering, for the love of shizznit." It was true, Lieber wasn't moving and his teeth were chattering in fear. "I'm getting bored, homes." With that said, Cyrus left the corner and walked toward Lieber.

"'Maria, I think this is your lucky day...'" Lieber said to himself. "No that sounds crazy. Perhaps 'There Captain. Don't resist. Come to me and cry on my shoulder.' No, no, no! That still isn't good!"

Getting tired of listening to Lieber, Cyrus pressed a few buttons on his MP3 Player and turned up the volume. In a few seconds, the loud roar of a T-Rex from a Jurassic Park movie made Lieber leap out in shock and made a feminine scream. Seeing the expression he made, Cyrus started to guffaw at the gunner. "Oh shizznit!" Cyrus shouted. "I knew there was reason I burned that T-Rex file on there! That was great! Especially when you yelled like a girl." he continued laughing so hard, he knelt on one knee.

"You little thug!" Lieber shouted. "Wait... How long have you been here?"

Cyrus' laughter was subsiding into a light chuckle. "Let see... from 'oh, this is your lucky day' to 'I'll be your tissue. Wipe your snot on me, Maria'." Cyrus said with a smirk.

"How dare you listen in on me," Lieber replied with a scowl. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"For one thing, it's hard not to listen in on you when you're out in the open. Second, my reason is strictly business, Liebizzle. And I'll tell Maria you said hi."

"No wait–!" Before Lieber could say another word, Cyrus was already in Maria's room. _"Heh. I guess Lancar was right. It was fun." _

In the room, Maria was on her computer reviewing the reports. Cyrus walked up to her side and began reading some of the sentences. "Let me guess, Lieber was out there?" Maria asked plainly.

Cyrus nodded. "How did you know?"

"He regularly talks to himself in front of my door. As soon as I open it, he acts like he's seen a ghost and quickly walks away."

"Isn't that something. So, I see you're revisiting past stuff."

"You could say that. This is the data that we received from Moonbase." Maria was silent.

"What's wrong?"

"Well, when I first looked at these documents, I despised Dr. Leingod and his team of scientists. What they did was in my book, immoral and inhuman. I even felt jealousy toward you guys."

"Jealousy? Why would you feel that?"

"Because, you all lived normal lives. No one about knew about being augmented whatsoever. No one knew they were going to save the universe. But when I researched this and after all the time spent with you guys, I finally realized that what I was being foolish. Now I wish I had another chance. Another chance to talk this over," Maria said as she looked down.

"It's not foolish," Cyrus said. "I would feel the same way. If some chump had messed with my DNA, I'd hunt his ass down too. But when you get down to the big picture, there was a reason for his actions. No matter how cruel and disturbing it was."

"That's right. Now's not the time to dwell on the past. Now we must focus on the task at hand."

"Straight up. Oh and Maria, be careful. There's no telling what we'll face once we land on Elicoor II."

"You're worried about me? I can take care of myself. If you ask me, you're the one who's pretty reckless."

"Reckless? I'll have you know my strategies are top notch."

"That's a laugh," Maria replied jokingly.

"Oh please. I ain't reckless. But since we're comrades, I'll let this slide. Chow." Cyrus left the room and went to his own quarters. The room was small, but hospitable. There was a bed, a table, a few shrubs from one of the Klaus satellites, but most importantly, a computer on a desk. Cyrus laid his Abysmal Offender and light saber on the table and turned on the PC. _"I wonder..." _he thought. _"In every dimension, there's usually the same individual who exists around the same time period as his 'twin' from the other time-space. I have a feeling that even though I was thrown into this one, there should be a chance that the 'me' from this existence stayed in the same time era. If that's the case, and if 2005 of this dimension is no different than mine, then what I have accomplished would be the same, even if I stayed. Now that's quantum physics." _Cyrus began logging on the Internet. After looking up website after website, the dark shizznit found a page that he thought was fascinating. _"So, this is what I have done..."_ It read this dimension's Cyrus was a rapper under Snoop Dogg's teachings in 2009. It also showed he was famous for his theories on genetic manipulation and genetic restoration in 2014. Cyrus found this a little hard to believe. Not only was he learning from one of the most skilled hip-hop artists in the world, but he was also researching advanced biological sciences that dealt with engineering and self-repair. He couldn't help but chuckle at what his future self had accomplished. "This is rich," he said. "Even if they knew what I have done in my later life, they would either go 'I can't believe it' or 'What does that mean?'. Nel would be wondering both." The shizznit sighed and remembered something in his pocket. He pulled it out and found it to be the scanner he received from one of the girls on his last trip to Elicoor. He stared at the device in his hand. "But now's not the time for such council. Right now, everything is riding on our victory against Luther. I haven't faced him yet when I was playing the game. And since I'm in it, going against him will prove greater difficulty than anything I have faced before." Cyrus got off his chair and left the room.

When he arrived at the top floor of the shp, a message from Mirage was heard on the speakers. "We are approaching Elicoor II.. Departure time will be in ten minutes."

"_It's show time!"_ Cyrus thought with a grin on his face. Cyrus went to the transporter room. He, Peppita, and Ravage were the first to show. As soon as everyone arrived, Steeg began to start up the transporter. They entered the machine, ready to once again step foot on the planet of Elicoor II.

* * *

Part 20.3: Shrine Under Siege

Fayt, Cyrus and the rest of the gang had arrived safely in the Irisa Fields. The place was covered in Executioners, who were immune to the uninstaller like cockroaches are to pesticide. With a serious look on Fayt's face, he said, "Alright. It's time we go to Aquios."

"That's find by me, dog," Cyrus said.

"It's sad that our hope rests in a place filled with overzealous maggots and blithering fools," Albel said.

"Watch it, Nox," Nel snapped.

"Come on, you two," Ravage said as she acted like a referee. "You just came from a war, right? It's a good idea if you settled down."

"So, you think we should talk to the queen?" Mirage asked Fayt.

"Yes. It's best that we tell them about what's going on. Perhaps with we can buy some time to stop this."

"In that case, I should go to Airyglyph," Albel said. "There's something I must do."

Cyrus nodded in agreement. "It is a good idea. If we don't get the two nations at level with this prob, then this place is as good as gone."

"Alright," Fayt said. "We'll split up. Cyrus, Sophia, Nel, Roger and Ravage, we're going to the castle."

"Didn't you here me?" Albel asked. "It's something I have to do. I don't need you worms following me."

"I hate to tell you, but not even you can go alone," Mirage said. "These Executioners are too powerful for one swordsman. It would be... 'foolish'."

"Besides, for all we know, the Convictors also made it here with the rest of the bunch," Ransack said.

"Stop acting all high and mighty," Cliff said. "After all, there's strength in numbers."

"Alright then, it's settled," Maria said. "We should meet back at the church."

Albel rested his claw on his sword. "Whatever worms. Now hurry up, before I change my mind." The Glyphian started off toward Peterny with Mirage not far behind. His party looked at one another and also followed him. With a nod from Cyrus, Fayt's team went through the gates of Aquios and entered Castle Aquaria.

Ravage and Sophia took in its beauty as they walked through the halls. The group entered the audience chamber where Queen Romeria sat in her throne. Magistrate Lasselle stood next to the queen and spied the familiar visitors. "I greet you welcome, Fayt and Cyrus. To be honest, we thought you would never return."

"The pleasure is all ours, Your Majesty" Cyrus said and bowed. "You see, we came back because of an important matter."

"Your Majesty, have there been sightings of strange, winged beings here on Elicoor?" Fayt asked.

"I'm afraid so," the Queen said. "Currently, we are working with Airyglyph on a way to stop these creatures. However, they are proving to be powerful adversaries."

"And that's our reason for returning," Cyrus said.

"Please explain."

"Of course, Your Majesty," Fayt said. "We are on a mission to stop these Executioners at the source. To do that, we ask permission to use the Sacred Orb."

"The Sacred Orb?" Lasselle snapped. "That is outrageous."

"Quiet Lasselle!" the Queen snapped. Then she turned her attention back to Fayt. "So in order to defeat these creatures, you need us to lend you the Sacred Orb?"

"Correct, Your Majesty," Cyrus said. "We know where the origin monstrosities. However, we can not venture into that domain without the gift's power. We will not fail in stopping this infestation before it gets any worse."

"Then it seems we have no choice but to once again ask for your aid once more. We have lost too many casualties against these monsters, both Aquaria and Airyglyph. You have our permission to use the Sacred Orb."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Fayt said and bowed.

"You are our best hope for survival."

"We will not let you down," Cyrus said and bowed. "You can count on us." The group left the room and stood in the hall. They went back to the first floor and stayed at the church.

"I'm going to buy some stuff," Sophia said. "If we're going to this Shrine of Kaddan, we have to be prepared."

"Right," Fayt said. "There's a good chance that those Executioners are already down there." Sophia walked out the cathedral and went to the main streets of town.

"Or whatever else," Cyrus said. The group turned their attention to him. "When we were coming here, I heard a lot of the people talking about 'the Vile Wind'."

"What's that?" Roger asked. "Some kind of new game?"

"Supposedly, it's some sort of gale. During its passing, some of the life forms mutated and evolved as well as grew insane. These new creatures have become highly aggressive and aren't too skittish to attack or even kill humans. Possibly even mutate them, too. Because of this, the attack rates have been on the rise."

"When did this happen?" Ravage asked.

"When the Executioners first came to this planet known as 'the Darkest Night'. That was about a few days ago."

"From the sound of it, the Executioner program rewrote the data of the animals" Fayt said. "Not only that, they seem to have a strong hold on this planet."

"So the Creator does know what we're up to," Nel said.

"There's no doubt that they've got a strong foothold at Kaddan," Ravage said

"True, but we won't give up that easily," Fayt said. Ravage nodded in agreement.

"And we ain't gonna jet anytime soon, 'ight?" Cyrus said. "The day I throw in the towel is the day when I'm down with Big Baby Bush."

Fayt and Roger looked at each other in confusion. "Yeah..." Fayt said.

"Who's the toddler?"

"Exactly," Cyrus responded.

In a few minutes, Sophia arrived back with Albel and his team behind her. "Is everyone ready?" Sophia asked.

"We're all set," Cliff said.

"Then let's go!" Peppita shouted. The party went down the stairway at the center of the church and through the underground walkway and entered the Sealed Cavern.

Mirage had a serious look on her face when she started scanning. "Something wrong?" Maria asked.

"Let me guess," Ransack said. "The device says there are strong energy emissions up ahead?"

"That's correct. And they're coming from extremely powerful lifeforms."

"Heh," Albel huffed. "Like that scares me, fool? Even if they are powerful, those maggots are still no match for me."

"As anxious as always, I see," Cyrus sneered.

"What was that, fool?"

"Now hold up, home boy," Cyrus said. "I want to execute some Executioners myself. But we gotta think this through, dog."

"How strong are they?" Cliff asked.

"There levels are higher than anything we've faced," Mirage answered. "We'll need to be very careful."

"That's real nice," Ravage sneered.

"Can we go?" Albel asked impatiently. "This foolish talk is wasting time."

"Looking at your face is a waste of anyone's time," Roger sneered.

"What was that, you mutant?"

"Who are you calling a mutant, you cross-dresser?"

"So you really do have a death wish."

"Yeah right. If you're threatening Roger, men among me, then you're making a big mistake."

"This is nuts..." Cyrus sighed in a low tone.

"I agree," Nel whispered. "Let's go before they start including me in this argument." Cyrus nodded and the group slowly made their way past the Glyphian and the Menodix.

"I'm so good looking that I attract all the girls. Including Nel."

"You're pathetic if you even think that wench is something to look at, then you have no taste."

"What was that? Did you hear what this psycho said my... lady" Roger turned around and noticed that no one was there.

"Great," Albel said. "They left me here with an insolent midget in ridiculous attire."

"Yeah, at least I don't have a dress like a woman!" Roger said before scuttling back to the group.

"It's a sarong, you chauvinistic maggot!" Albel shouted as he ran after him. The two caught up with the rest of the group and they went through the underground cavern. The place hadn't changed. The only things that were different were the Executioners and mutated life forms that invaded the area. They were powerful, but still no match for the team's power.

When a battle against one of the Convictors was over, Cyrus' attention was turned to Albel's new weapon. The shizznit whistled and said, "Tight blade. What is that?"

Mirage walked over Cyrus. "It's a powerful sword from Airyglyph known as the Crimson Scourge."

"Did you say 'the Crimson Scourge'?" Nel asked in shock.

"Is something wrong?" Cyrus asked.

"The Crimson Scourge is a legendary magical sword, a supposed gift from the gods handed down to Airyglyph during the days of the Kingdom of Aquor. It is said to have the ability to cut the sky itself."

"Cool," Cyrus said. "Can I see it?"

"No," Albel said.

"Huh? But why?"

"As much as I'd like to hand it to you, I can't. You should be thankful."

"What is he talking about?"

"The Crimson Scourge chooses its wielder," Nel said. "If a someone who is not worthy of the sword touches it, the person will be driven insane by its magic."

"Okay..." Cyrus said. "Well that's nice and all, but I 'll stick with my own cursed sword, thank you." They pressed on through the ancient route, facing the many enemies that were in their way. It was an arduous journey, but the group still prevailed against the colonizing foes.

They arrived at the last room of the underground passage where they saw the entrance to the Shrine of Kaddan. Before they could go to the door, the group was blinded by a flash of light. Then it dimmed and revealed a large insignia. "This can't be happening!" Fayt shouted.

"Didn't we already defeat the guard?" Maria said. Emerging from the symbol were eyeballs attached to large, scale covered stalks. The group watched in horror as the monster arose. When it appeared, the abomination proved to be a large eyeball itself with tendrils on the bottom. Its whole body was green and scaly. It was Lesser Eye, and it was prepared for battle.

"Is this overgrown eyeball is supposed to scare me?" Ransack said.

"Careful," Maria warned. "This creature is still powerful."

"Let's take it on," Fayt said.

"Time to say yo' prayers," Cyrus said. "It's lights out," he replied with a snap of his fingers. With the MP3 Player tuned to "Powerbroker" from Star Ocean: Till the End of Time, the four warriors charged into battle. Fayt and Ransack went in for the attack. But before Ransack and Fayt were able to strike, the Lesser Eye lowered to the ground and shot a huge beam out of its main eye. Both warriors suffered a considerable amount of damage. While they healed themselves, Cyrus flew at the creature, spinning as he approached like a drill with Darkness Blade already activated. Before the he could land a hit, the monster quickly rose higher into the air. Instead of hitting the Lesser Eye, Cyrus stabbed the wall instead. The Lesser Eye lowered behind Cyrus as he was trying to pull out the Abysmal Offender. Before the monster could attack, a shower of energy rained upon the foe and slammed it to the ground. The devastation was caused by Fayt's Air Raid. The monster rose and began using another attack. After Cyrus pried his sword from the wall, he, Fayt and Ransack rushed at the monster. When they were in range, a large wave threw them back in the directions they came. Below the target was a large white circle that formed around it. Slowly, the Lesser Eye was recovering small portions of energy. This was its attack known as Fear Circle. Ransack quickly got back up, still sore from the wave, and began her assault. The monster saw the young woman coming and quickly shot lasers from its eyes. But Ransack dodged the barrage. As soon as she was in range, the black-haired teen used her Torment Stream, giving the Lesser Eye damage. Then she followed it up with a new attack called Shredding Soiree. Ransack started slashing the creature with her Tri-Edges straight into the opponent's eye. The faster she thrashed, the more damage was being delivered and a purple sphere of energy began to surround her. After the onslaught from Ransack, the Lesser Eye was showing signs of weakness. The creature retaliated by using an attack called Misery Circle. Just as before, the monster summoned another large circle on the field. Except this one was red. The abomination was beginning to regaining small portions of energy while it was rising. At the same time, Ransack was being drained of her own and was down to her last bit of health. As the Lesser Eye came down upon, Cyrus was ready to deliver a final blow with a new attack. He back flipped toward the monster and then approached it through a flare. He then leaped from his break dance move a few feet closer to the monster and started using a head spin. With each revolving turn, Cyrus was spreading ripples of dark energy in all directions. Each wave that passed added a high amount of damage to the enemy. The attack being used was called Shadow Rave. After a few emissions, the Lesser Eye was destroyed.

"Like I said," Ransack began, "that thing didn't scare me."

"Why was this thing here in the first place?" Cliff asked.

"Luther must be trying to keep us from the Scared Orb," Cyrus suggested. "Blair said that he knows what we're doing."

"Let's get going," Fayt said. The group left the room and entered the shrine. The first few rooms were empty. The place looked the same like it did when they last came. Even the blast through the wall from the Vendeeni invasion was still there. After the last few halls, the group battled against the large Enforcers and ball-like monsters known as Polyhedron.

After cleaning out that room of foes, the group was stopped in the chamber where they faced the Crystal Cerberus. But instead of facing one monster, what stood in their way were three large suits of armor that wielded heavy mallets. It was a trio of Dark Armors prepared for battle. "Great," Rampage said. "Now we're blocked by tin cans."

"These worms are a waste of my time," Albel said.

"I guess I can participate in this," Mirage said. "I can use a little practice."

"I'll help too," Sophia said.

"Sophia, are you sure?" Fayt asked.

"Hey, Fayt," Cyrus said. "C'mon, dog. If she didn't want any part of this, she wouldn't have came, right?"

"But–"

"Relax homie. She can handle her own. And besides, this is the time that Sophia needs the most. Compared to her, you and Maria have your powers under your thumb. If Sophia is to be of any help against Luther, she needs all the experience she can."

"I guess I'll join," Albel said as he pulled out the Crimson Scourge. "Just to even up the odds for you maggots."

Mirage looked at Albel with a smile and nodded. "Aren't you kind, Sir Nox," the Klausian replied.

Rampage, who was on the other side of Albel, gave Mirage a daunting glare. She cleared her throat and said, "We're here to fight, aren't we?" Anger and a hint of jealousy was in her voice. Without further to do, Albel charged at the Dark Armor in the middle. Mirage fought the one on the left. The last enemy was being attacked by Rampage with the aid of Sophia.

Mirage rapidly punched and sweep kicked the bulky opponent. In retaliation, the enemy swung its massive hammer at the Klausian, however, the attacks missed as Mirage jumped over the tool or sidestepped from the overhand strikes. She then countered with a jump kick and used her Electric Fists. Each static strike gave the monster a considerable amount of damage. As soon as the Mirage planted the blows, the large enemy used its Hammer Quake attack. The monster raised its large mallet high in the air. Luckily, Mirage was able to cancel the attack with her Aerial Assault. With a descending stomp, the monster suffered a large amount of damage. As Mirage began to throw her punches and blows to the enemy, the monster retaliated with another Hammer Quake. Before Mirage could evade, it was too late. The slam of the monster's hammer sent a chain of waves through a large area. Weakened by the attack, Mirage was knelt to the ground. The clunk of metal was advancing toward the Klausian, one heavy step after another. Mirage had no way to heal herself. Feeling the aches, she rose to her feet, ready to defend herself. The Dark Armor was ready to make the final blow. However, before the monster could strike, a large pool spread over half the field. Mirage looked behind her enemy and saw that the field was from Albel and his new attack, Vampiric Flash. He was taking out large amounts of health from both his opponent and Mirage's. After the attack was over, he turned to the weakened Dark Armor that was harassing the Klausian and sliced it in half with the Crimson Scourge. Then he went back to his enemy and began to fight. Mirage watched the warrior in confusion. Why did he just save her? Was it, for once in his life, an act of kindness? Or was it because he saw a weaker target and decided to play on it? Perhaps it was the second reason. Either way, Mirage didn't dwell on such matters for long.

She decided to help Sophia and Rampage who was slashing at the enemy with her halberd. Rampage began swiping at the monster with Quake Cyclone, greatly inflicting damage with each chop and stab from the axe head and the spearhead. Just before the monster could retaliate, Mirage countered with her Aerial Assault. However, instead of using her feet, the monster was attacked by slamming fists. Sophia also contributed to the damage with her Deep Freeze. A large area of ice had formed around the Dark Armor and trapped it. The freezing temperature and icy winds the monster damage. In a few seconds, the ice block broke beneath the monster and the target suffered drastically. It wasn't long before Mirage and Rampage began slashing and pummeling the Dark Armor mercilessly. Unable to defend itself, the monster was smothered by the attacks. Weakened, all three women used their attacks. Rampage used her new attack, Thunder Vortex. The young woman tapped the head of her halberd on the ground to generate a small electrical surge. Then, she tossed the spear and it spun toward the Dark Armor. Each revolution that hit the monster caused serious damage. After five spins, the whirling lance returned to Rampage. Sophia used her Thunder Flare. A large pillar of electricity began zapping at the monster. The last strikes came from Mirage and her Electric Fists. After the volley of electric punches, the opponent was destroyed. The last Dark Armor was also eliminated by a quick slash from Albel. "That wasn't too hard," Mirage said.

"Sophia," Fayt said as the group walked up to them. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Fayt," she said. "Don't worry."

"See," Cliff said to Cyrus. "I told you she would do great, didn't I?"

"No doubt, no doubt," Cyrus said. "That fight was electrifying."

Albel merely scoffed. "I wonder..." Cliff said.

"What are you thinking, fool?" Albel asked.

"About what you did out there. I mean, you said it yourself 'just because I'm in this group, don't expect me to lend my hand in battle'."

"Cliff finally has a point," Cyrus said, earning a stare from Cliff. "I mean, the great Glyphian of the west side, the most deviant and cutthroat dude, helping a homie? What's goin on up in here?"

"You fools," Albel spat. "What I did was logical. Take the weakling out and then finish the job. What else is there?"

"I don't know," Cliff said. "Why don't you tell us?"

"You really have a death wish, do you?"

"Oh Cliff," Mirage called with a calm voice to cover her aggravation. "I think now's not the time to start prodding into such matters. Do you remember the last time you did something like that?" Cliff gulped. "If I remember correctly, you ended up with bruises all over your body for two weeks. But now that we bring it up, what ever did happen to that girl from Expel..."

"Okay, okay! I get it!" With that said, Cliff hastily moved ahead, with the rest of the group not too far behind. Mirage looked at Albel with a small smile on her face. The Glyphian captain paid no heed to her expression and turned his head. The group continued through the temple. Facing many foes that were in their wake. As they went up a stairway, another guardian, an altered version of a Crystal Statue, blocked their way.

"Now we have to deal with this thing again?" Roger whined. "Why would the Creator be going through all this trouble anyway?"

"Perhaps he's somewhere near by," Nel guessed. "Generals tend to send a squad to keep enemy troops from close areas of importance."

"That's a good hypothesis," Ravage said. "It has some logic in it." She then looked at the now charging monster. "But at the moment, we have a foe to vanquish."

Roger, Ravage and Nel rushed into the battle. The crystal creature proved to be quickly and more agile than the last monsters they faced of this type. It began spinning its spear as it ran toward Roger. Roger jumped to the side and used Piercing Claw. Without warning, the Crystal Statue was hit by the small Menodix's large revolving claw. Ravage walked on the side of the wall and cartwheeled off. As soon as she was in the air, she made a quick slashing dive with her Tiger Claws. Then she used her Torture Rage, streaking toward the monster and slashing rapidly. At the last second, the Crystal Statue charged past the duo with a spinning lance. Both Roger and Ravage suffered injury, but not enough to keep them down. Nel came at the monster and used her Shadow Wave. But the attack didn't do much damage and the enemy retaliated with another spinning lance. Nel barely dodged the attack and felt the wind brush her by the passing monster. Roger jumped at the opponent axe first, but the monster blocked with its shield. Roger was tossed off and skidded on the floor until he hit the wall. Ravage, along with Nel, overwhelmed the monster with powerful slashes and swipes. It was at that time the Crystal Statue kicked its front legs, tossing both women in the air, and then trying to skewer them with its spinning lance. Luckily, Roger was able to use his Flying Torpedo before the statue could finish Nel and Ravage off. Like a fox hunter chasing a fox, The Crystal Statue pursued Roger around the area while Nel and Ravage were recovering themselves. Before the monster could get any closer to Roger, a few small explosions were triggered. It seemed that Roger dropped a few of his Land Mines while the monster chased him. Weakened, the Crystal Statue desperately used its Tri-Spike. From its chest, three beams were fired at the group. Nel sidestepped from the attack, with Ravage jumping high and Roger ducking under one of the beams with his hands on his head. As soon as the laser beams dispersed, the trio capitalized on the foe. In minutes, the Crystal Statue was defeated.

"I'll admit, that was a close shave..." Ravage said.

"But at least we've defeated the enemy," Nel agreed.

"That's right," Roger said standing between the two with a grin on his face. "Thanks to Roger, man among men, fighting alongside you. You could show your appreciation by kissing me anytime." As he said that, Roger was rubbing both of their legs.

"You wish, you little perve!" the two women said in unison before kicking him away.

"_Glad I ain't him,"_ Cyrus thought to himself.

"Why do you resist my charm, ladies?" Roger asked in a whiny voice.

"Use your brain before your libido, you little mutated maggot," Albel scoffed.

"Why don't ya shaddup!" snapped a now angry Roger.

"Why don't you speak up, work. I can't hear you down there."

"I'll give you something for you to hear."

The two were about to go at it, until Fayt, Cyrus, Ransack and Cliff held the two back. "Get off me, you fools!" shouted Albel.

"Let me go!" Roger said.

"Alright, that's enough from you two," Ransack said, holding a squirming Roger with Fayt.

"Yeah!" Peppita said as Cyrus and Cliff held Albel. "There's other ways of settling stuff."

"And what do you have in mind?" Cliff asked.

"Maybe some 'yo mama' jokes... probably a rap battle... perhaps break dancing..."

"A yo mama contest?" Fayt asked in confusion.

"Rap battles?" Sophia asked in confusion. "What are those things supposed to be?"

"What do they teach you guys in school?" Cyrus asked. "In my time, those were like big time sports! You should know what B-boying is, right?"

"Not a clue," Maria said. "But when did you say that."

"It's another word for break dancing."

"I see..."

"Damn politics. I knew well not to trust them." Cyrus said under his breath. Then he shook his head and shrugged. "Heh, it was worth a shot."

"Can we settle this later," Ransack said. "We have a Sacred Orb to find. We should focus on this mission and then start worrying about the rest."

Albel jerked his arms from Cliff and Cyrus and scowled at them before following the rest of the group. Cliff shook his head. "I guess Roger's best joke would be 'Yo mama's such an idiot, she's stupid.'" The two caught back up with the others and continued through the shrine. As they progressed through the area, they faced enemies that were stronger than the next. The group was again stopped again in a large room with doors by another challenge. It was the last, but the strongest opponent they would face in the shrine, a Dark Eye. It was exactly like its predecessor that they faced when they first entered, but was red and even more powerful.

"Great," Cliff said before he landed his fist in his hand. "Another one of those eye balls."

"This should be interesting," Maria said as she pulled out her gun.

"I want to fight too!" Peppita said.

"Are you really sure you want to do this?" Cliff asked.

"Of course. After all, I want to do my part, too."

"Okay then," Maria said. "Let's do this." The team went to battle. As Maria shot at the floating giant, Cliff and Peppita charged to the monster. Peppita somersaulted toward the foe. She then leapt up in the air and landed while hitting the monster with her cape. At the same time, Cliff attacked the beast with his Aerial assault. The attacks caused some damage to the monster, but not enough. The creature hovered higher into the air and performed Misery Circle. The red symbol was draining the energy of the Velbaysian and the Klausian. To make it worse, the monster was out of their reach. Luckily, the target was in Maria's sights and she shot it down with Aiming Device. The monster crashed to the floor. The group became stronger as Peppita used her Power Dance and Healing Dance. As the monster rose back up, it was being attacked in all directions. Maria used her Triple Kick on the monster, rallying three strong kicks at the enemy. Peppita used Kaboom on the Dark Eye. The energy ball that revolved around her body grew larger and stronger with each blow it made to the foe. Overwhelmed by the attacks, the Dark Eye struck back with an array of laser beams from its eyes. Then it shot a large beam from its main eye. The trio suffered heavily from the light show. Luckily, Peppita again used her Healing Dance, which ameliorated their health. Maria attacked the floating monster with her Scatter Beam while Cliff used his Uppercut strikes. The Klausian started to juggle the juggernaut with powerful kicks and punches. When it was in mid-air, Peppita attack with her Magic Hook. The cape grabbed on to one of the eye stalks. She then drew herself toward the abomination until she kicked the monster square in the large eye. Feeling the excruciating pain, the Dark Eye began moving erratically around the room. Maria jumped on top of the statue and shot the creature. Cliff held out his hands in a cup and Peppita ran toward him. When she stepped in Cliff's hand, the Klausian tossed her toward the monster. When the monster opened its eye, it saw the Velbaysian ready to make the finishing blows. With hard strikes from her cape as she spun around, the Dark Eye was defeated.

"Thanks Cliff," Peppita said.

"Hey, don't mention it," Cliff said with a thumbs up.

"From where we are, I think that was the last powerful enemy," Fayt said.

"Then what are we waiting for," Maria said.

"Sacred Orb, here we come," Cyrus said.

The team of thirteen proceeded through the Shrine of Kaddan. As usual, there was more than a few strong foes to defeat. In the end, they still proved to be no match for the group. After venturing through the two mazes of moving blocks, they reached the room of Aquaria's pride and joy, the Sacred Orb. The members of the party that didn't see the orb stood in bewilderment and awe. "So this is the Sacred Orb, huh?" Ransack said.

"That metal ball is the thing that saved this miserable country?" Albel said coldly.

"Watch it Nox," Nel hissed with a death glare.

"Well, let's hope this is the special ID," Fayt said with a nod to Sophia.

Accompanied by him, Cliff, Mirage and Maria, the girl walked toward the artifact. As soon as she picked up the sphere, she held it up to her ear. "Blair..." she said nervously. "Can you hear me... It's me, Sophia," suddenly, the O.P.A glowed in her hand, causing Sophia to briefly scream. It was clear that the Sacred Orb had just went active.

As Sophia began talking to the object, Nel stood against the wall and watched in amazement and disbelief. "I can't believe that I'm seeing this," she gasped. "The Sacred Orb hasn't been activated in nearly 700 years since the invasion of Greeton."

Cyrus, who was flexing his wings, looked her in the corner of his eye. "When you put it that way, this must is truly rare and impressive," he replied nonchalantly.

"Have you ever seen anything like this?"

"No way. Not even the stuff that has happened amounts to this."

"I see what you mean. In my line of work, I have my share of strange events. But compared to what I've experienced with you and the others, I believe everything else is ordinary."

"But every experience is important nonetheless."

"It's not life if you haven't experienced both regular occurrences and new events."

"Because you only have one chance in life." Nel nodded in agreement. "Which is why we must defeat the Creator and Lystara."

"Straight up."

"What did she say, Sophia?" Fayt asked.

Cyrus and Nel, along with the rest of the group, turned their attention to the fellow symbologist who lowered the orb. "Blair said that we'll need to wait a while."

"Wait?" Maria said.

"That's right. She said it will take some time for her to find the Creator."

"It seems we have no choice," Cliff said.

"We have the key for the door, but we don't know where the door is," Ravage said. "Quite a predicament."

"So what are we going to do until then?" Peppita asked.

"We'll return to Aquios," Fayt said. "Once we're there, we can plan our next move."

"Then let's take the Sacred Orb and move out," Cyrus said. Sophia tightly held on to the Sacred Orb and the team retraced their steps from the chamber and back to the castle.

* * *

Part 20.4: Taking the High Road

Arriving at the castle, Cyrus and Fayt told Queen Romeria everything about what happened during their travel to the Shrine of Kaddan. "Your Majesty, a friend of ours, Blair, said that this is the O.P.A. needed for us to we need to get to the Creator's space," Fayt said.

"Then I assume that everything is settled?" the Queen asked.

"Not quite," Cyrus said. "You see, it's true that we have the artifact, but we have no idea on where the big dog's at. In short, we'll need to wait a while until Blair can pinpoint his location."

"Very well. Then please make yourselves comfortable in our guest quarters."

"Yes Your Majesty."

The group left the chamber and went to do their own errands. Outside the castle, Cyrus strolled through the city. Nothing had changed the last time he was here. The paths were filled with people and humanoids. He found Fayt, who purchasing supplies at a shop. When he finished buying his stuff, Cyrus walked over to his comrade. "Yo," he greeted.

"Cyrus, what are you doing here?" the swordsman asked asked.

"I was just strolling by and then I saw you. What about you? So, are you stoked about facing Luther and Lystara?"

"Of course! After all, we are talking fighting against gods!"

"True." Cyrus paused and then decided to ask, "I know what we can do to prepare."

"What's that?"

"How about we battle."

"A battle?"

"Yeah. If we're going to get ready, we need every bit of time to train until the big moment arrives. Unless, you think you'll loose."

"Sure I will," Fayt said sarcastically. "Alright then, let's do it."

"We'll go to the Palmira Plains."

"Okay. But just be warned that I won't go easy on you."

"I implore to spare me the warning, homie."

The two fighters strolled out of the city and in the middle of the field. They stood on a clearing eyeing each other down. Fayt took out his Divine Avenger. Cyrus spread his wings and pulled out his Abysmal Offender. He also turned his MP3 Player to "See About Ya" by Beezle, Bonecrusher, and David Banner. The battle started with them both charging toward each other. They met at the middle of the battle field, pushing against their swords. Cyrus began to flap his wings intensely and was slowly pushing Fayt forward. Fayt realized what was happening and used his force against him, tossing the shizznit behind him. The two then activated Darkness Blade and Lightning Blade. Cyrus flew up in the air and went for a dive bomb, but was hit by Fayt's electric sword. Before Fayt could attack again, he was countered by a jump kick from Cyrus in the stomach. The blue-haired swordsman staggered back from the move while Cyrus was standing up. The two again charged at one another using their Side Kick and Raptor's Revenge. The mid-air kicks were mostly blocked and made seldom hits. When the attacks ended, the swordsmen were feeling the signs of fatigue. Their bodies ached, they were continuously gasping for air, their swords were beginning to feel heavier and heavier by the second. Cyrus tried to flapping his wings to fan himself, but it proved to be little help. Despite their predicament, the two warriors smiled at one another. They knew it was time to end this battle and they both had the attacks to finish it. Cyrus pulled out his light saber and began to spin both blades. Fayt jumped in the air and called upon balls of energy. It was in a few seconds that the area around them was being bombarded by the balls of energy coming from Cyrus' Splicer's Twist and Fayt's Air Raid. After the dust cleared, the two swordsman were leaning on their blades. It was clear that this fight was a draw.

Standing on a hill near the battlefield was a stunned soldier. She was wide-eyed and her mouth was gaping when she saw the two on the field in their current positions. After a few minutes of leaning on their swords, Fayt and Cyrus slowly rose back to their feet and began using their Healing spells on one another. Then they saw the still and dumbfounded soldier. "Um... Master Fayt and Master Cyrus..." she said.

"Yes," Fayt said. "Can we help you?"

"Yes- I mean no...! I mean... the Queen has summoned you two to the throne room."

"Is that right?" Cyrus said in a calm voice. He turned to Fayt to ask, "Do you think Sophia got a hold of Blair?"

"I'm pretty sure she did," Fayt answered. Cyrus nodded and the two left the scorched field. When they passed by the soldier, she was still in a stunned expression. Cyrus bowed to the woman and then hurried to catch up with Fayt. In under a few minutes, the swordsman made it to the Audience Chamber where their comrades waited for their arrival.

"You guys made it," Mirage said.

"You're a late," Cliff replied.

"Sorry," Fayt said.

"You guys look like hell," Rampage said. "What happened?"

"Oh, nothing much," Cyrus answered. "Just a little... sparing. So what did we miss?"

"We received a message from Blair," Mirage said.

"Really?" Fayt asked. "What did she said."

"She said she found Luther's space," Sophia replied.

"Great," Cyrus said. "Then let's get a move on."

"There is one slight dilemma in that plan," Ravage said.

"And that is...?"

"Even though she found where the space is, there is no way we can go there without a gate," Maria pointed out. "So we're back to where we started."

"In 'gate', you mean something like the Time Gate?" Fayt asked.

"That's right," Sophia said. "The Sacred Orb is only used for opening gates. If we're going to his space, we need to find a gate that uses the Sacred Orb."

"So where can we find the gate?"

"We're not sure if it's accurate, but it is our best bet," Nel said.

"From what she has just described, your destination should be at the Ancient Ruins of Mosel."

"That old building in a middle of a godforsaken sand trap," Albel said. "Isn't that where you fools had that meeting?"

"How dare you speak like that in front of Her Majesty," Lasselle said coldly. "If you dare talk in that way again, I'll..."

"You'll what, maggot?" Albel hissed with a freezing death glare. The magistrate gulped as shivers went down his spine.

"That is enough, Lasselle," the Queen ordered.

"But– Yes, Your Majesty."

"So you say there is a gate, Your Majesty?" Cyrus asked, trying to change the subject.

"Indeed," Her Majesty said. "It's the only area that meets all the requirements. Under the ruins, hidden beneath the sands, the gate you seek must be there."

"It seems that's our only option," Ransack said.

"Then it's time," Fayt said.

"Mosel Dunes, or bust," Cyrus replied. With that said, the group left the castle and exited the city of Aquios. They hiked through the wilderness trail while defeating the local Executioners. Going through the streets of Peterny, a few people knew who they were. It seemed that their past feats had spread. Cyrus smiled at some of the fame he's witnessed. When he looked at Cliff and Roger, trying to woo the women with smiles and flexing of their muscles. Cyrus snickered at their attempts while Maria shook her head in embarrassment. "Hey, they try," the young shizznit said to the Quark leader. They continued their route to through the Irisa Plains. Though it was filled with Convictors the group still managed to defeat the them. It was almost sunset when the group arrived at Surferio. With no choice, the group stayed at Roger's house. Throughout the night, the house was filled with snores and whistles of sleeping allies. Even with his MP3 Player, Cyrus was abruptly awaken. He got up and walked over his comrades. He heard the murmurs of Rampage who was dreaming about Albel, Sophia with her infatuation on Fayt, and the fixated desires of Roger and Cliff to see the girls (excluding Peppita and Maria in Cliff's case) in some perverted dream of their own. The young shizznit made it outside of the house, breathing the fresh air of the night.

"Couldn't get any sleep?" a voice said. Cyrus turned to the bridge and fence where the battle mech laid to see Ransack laying against it. Her black hair was swaying in the wind. Her eyes, that were usual black in the daylight, showed they were a glistening dark purple.

"I'm sure you can say that," Cyrus answered as he walked over and laid on the fence beside her.

"I have to say, I'm impressed with these guys. It's not everyday you meet a strong group like them."

"That's for sure. They're not just strong, but brave and generous, too. After all the time I've spent with them, I've learned that they would drop anything to help a brother in need, know what I'm sayin'?"

Ransack was silent for a second. "Cyrus, do you think what we're doing is right?"

"What do you mean?"

"Let's be reasonable. This is their dimension, correct? We don't belong here. This is their battle, not ours. There is a chance that we're interfering with their lives."

"You do have a point. The circumstances would be different if we weren't made to come here. But we are involved, nonetheless. And it was destiny that made us come here. There is a chance that they could defeat Luther themselves without our aide." Cyrus turned around. With his arms resting on the fence, he looked up at the moon. "But if the shoes were on the other feet, I'm sure you guys would've saved my dimension. Or perhaps we could've saved yours."

"That is a possibility," Ransack said as she also turned around to watch the night sky. "Then again, you know what they say about possibilities, they're endless. It is true that we're not supposed to be here."

"That's true. But everything has a reason, Ransack. And it is those reasons that choose our paths in life. Without them, we wouldn't be who we are."

"I believe you're right. And I'm sure that if I didn't have those paths, I wouldn't have met everybody, including you, Cyrus."

Cyrus looked at Ransack with a surprised eye to what she said. He hid his reaction in a friendly smile. "Exactly. Nor would I have met you guys, Ransack."

"So I guess it is fortunate that we came here."

The two stayed outside watching the night sky and talking about other topics for about a couple hours before they went back to sleep. The next morning, the group said their farewells to the Huxleys for their hospitality. Ready to leave, the team were about to enter the Passage from Parch to Plenty. That was before a raspy, yet familiar voice stopped them from proceeding. "Wait, wait, waaaaaaaiiiiiiittttt!" it shouted.

"That voice..." Maria said.

"Could it be...?" Fayt said.

"It must be..." Cyrus said.

"I thought we were rid of him," Albel replied.

Indeed it was. The legendary soldier of Aquaria. It was none other than the rough and tumble warrior, Adray Lasbard. When he came toward the group, he appeared to be soaked, but had a big grin on his face. "Hey, long time, no see," Cliff said.

"I'll say," the man replied. "You didn't come to ask me."

"We tried..." Nel said. "But you were no where to be found."

"Um..." Ransack was speechless. "Who is this man?"

Rampage then smelled a 'colorful' odor. "What the heck is that odor?"

"Oh, where are my manners," Adray said. "I am Adray Lasbard of Aquaria. It is a privilege to meet such lovely ladies as yourself."

"Charmed, I'm sure," Ravage said.

"So, big dog, where have you been?" Cyrus asked.

"It's that sniveling Lasselle. He's been sending me back to do an investigation on that island up north. So I was just on my way up to the island, and then I received a report about you guys on a mission. Hearing that, I just had to come back!"

"Are you sure you should do that?" Sophia asked. "You did have an important investigation, right?"

"Nah! Investigation missions was never my kind of job. Besides, what's the point for me to go to a remote island when they could do it. Honestly..."

"I could think of many..." Albel said under his breath.

"Ah, Albel, it's nice to see you again."

"Get away from me, you old fool," the Glyphian said coldly.

"Oh come on!" Adray said as he began to give him a noogie. "Is that anyway to talk to your elders!"

"Get off me, damn it!"

"Such language. What do you think Glou would do if he heard that?"

"I'm going to kill you!"

"Say, I have an idea. How about you marry my daughter, huh? After all, she is your type."

"That wench is as asinine as her old man!"

"Hey, hey!" Cyrus said as he tried to get the fifty-eight year old man's attention and trying to free Albel. "Please tell us how you got back, Big A."

"Very well," Adray said. When he released Albel, the captain dropped to the ground hard and gasping for air. Mirage and Rampage quickly went to the Glyphian's aide. "You see, when I heard that you guys returned, I knew I had to come back here somehow."

"So, how did you do it?" Roger asked. "Where are the other guys?"

"To tell you the truth, I was the only one that came back."

"Did something happen to the others?" Peppita asked.

"No, they're fine. I asked them to continue without me. The only way I could return was by swimming back here."

Everyone was stunned when they heard Adray's response. "Wait a minute," Ransack said. "You actually swam? All the way back here?"

"Indeed I did, young lady. It took three whole days for me to make it back. Luckily, the tide was going my way so I made it back at less time than I thought."

"Three days, huh..." Ravage said. "So that's explains that malodorous and salty odor."

"Now to business. You left this land after the last time we met. So now that you're back... does that mean the kingdom is in trouble?"

"Yeah, that's correct..." Fayt said.

"And since you're all here, then it seems you need all the firepower you can get, right?"

"We can't deny that," Maria said.

"Maria!" Fayt snapped.

"It's true. And besides, if we're going to see Luther, we need all the strongest allies we can find. If we take Adray, it wouldn't matter seeing that he is already involved."

"That's right," Cyrus said. "He's going to come anyway."

"You too, Cyrus."

"It's good that you're coming with us," Sophia said.

"Sophia, you're also agreeing...?"

"Like Cyrus said, it doesn't really matter," Adray said. "Stop arguing at let me come along!"

Fayt began to think. Ransack than walked over to him with a smile on her face. "I guess there isn't much of a choice."

"Fine," Albel said. "Let's just take him and go."

"After all the more the merrier," Cliff said.

"Then it's settled." Adray replied. With a deep sigh, Fayt knew that there was no choice.

The party of fourteen went through the cave and out into the desert. The vast area was as hot as before. It was only a few seconds before they heard the pants of Roger, Cyrus ,and Peppita. "So... hot..." panted Peppita.

"The heat..." Cyrus said. "Too hot to handle..."

"Need... shade..." Roger replied.

"Don't worry, you three," Nel reassured. "Once we go around that rock wall, we'll be at the ruins in no time." They continued walking. When they were about to go around a bend, they were stopped by an unsettling surprise. The group was ambushed by a large, bizarre beast. The creature was massive with the body of a lion. However, it had two heads similar to a goat and a viper as well as a pair of bat wings. Other than that, the monster had a long, tapering tail engulfed in a flame. It's front paws were armed with large sharp claws.

"What the–?" was the only response Fayt could say.

"That is one ugly thing," Roger said.

"It's a Chimera!" Ravage exclaimed. "Watch out everyone."

"I may not be Bellerophon, but it's time to shank this ugly-ass cat!" Cyrus said said.

"I would like to assist you," Adray said.

"Huh? You sure, G?"

"Of course. After all, I want to lend my hand in battle."

Cyrus smiled and nodded at the old warrior's request. "Then let's go." He pulled out his Abysmal Offender and light saber after turning to "Fire Man" by Lil' Wayne on his MP3 Player. The monster roared with all of its heads before charging into battle. Cyrus and Ravage rushed to the monster, but were hit as the Chimera lashed them with its burning tail. Then the monster turned and charged at them. At the last minute, the two dived out of the way of the giant monster. Suddenly, a missile was launched at the creature. It was coming from Roger and his Shield & Cannon. The monster was bombarded by Roger's rockets. After the third hit, a large explosion engulfed the creature. When the plume of fire subsided, the monster was still standing. Ravage started to flail at the monster with her clawed gauntlets. Then she cartwheeled back and began charging her attack. The monster turned to the woman and was ready to lunge. An orb formed in the palm of her hand. Ravage then aimed her hands to the monster and an electrical beam was shot at the monster. This was Ravage's Zapmaster's Strike. Though the stream electrocuted the Chimera hard, the monster was still on all fours Ravage slashed at the monster, with Roger and Cyrus' aide, but the monster started to spew fire and knocking the three back in the process. The fiery assault was quickly canceled by Cyrus's Saber Throw. He hurled his light saber like a boomerang, each revolution sliced at the monster before it returned to him. Adray's added to the damage with his Chaos Tide. He charged at the monster at high speed while emitting a powerful symbological aura. The force was enough to knock tri-headed foe on its side. Without a second thought, the old Aquarian quickly used Faerie Light, summoning small fairies to replenish his comrades' health. The Chimera rose back to its feet and used Lunging Bite. Its three mouths were open wide and ready to sink its fangs into Cyrus. The shizznit quickly sidestepped the mythical abomination and Adray took the creature by surprise again with Titan's Fist. Out of nowhere, a large fist slammed into the side of the monster. The creature was pushed a few feet to the side before turning its attention on Adray. The Chimera was ready to Triple Attack, rushing over to Adray and bite with each head, but the warrior sidestepped and slashed with his katana. The attack inflicted some damage, but not enough to keep it down. The creature retaliated by striking the man with its tail. Then it spread its wings and soared above the team. As it flew, the monster spun while launching fireballs. It was using its Pyroblast attack. The group was barely able to dodge the attacks. At the last moment, Cyrus opened his wings and flew toward the Chimera. The Chimera saw the approaching shizznit and dive bombed. Both opponents were moving toward each other at high speeds. As soon as they passed, the Chimera began plummeting to the ground. It was clear that the monster had suffered a high amount of damage during that quick dogfight. After it roared, each of the Chimera's head slammed to the ground. The battle was over.

"I must say, that was no walk in the park," Adray replied.

"If that was a fight outside of the ruins, than you can be sure that whatever's inside is more challenging," Mirage said.

"Like it really matters," Albel replied with a confident tone. "I don't care as long as I fight something worthy of my skill." Cliff was about to say something, but Albel quickly cut him off. "If you make a smart-ass comment, maggot, and I will shred your head off with my claw and use the rest of your body as bait." With that said, Cliff gulped nervously.

The group proceeded through the harsh desert. The heat was hard enough to cope with, but the monsters that dwelled in the environment also proved to be a hassle. And as Mirage predicted, the outside was nothing compared to what was lurking in the halls of the Mosel Ruins. Soon, the group had reached the meeting room in the center of the ruin. In the corner, they noticed a large cellar door. Before anyone could approach it, the ground started to shake. "Something's coming..." Ransack said.

"Stay on your guard, everyone," Mirage said.

"You worry too much, wench," Albel said. "That block of stone can't even land a hit. If you don't think so, how about you join me."

"If that is a challenge, then I accept."

"Oh man!" Rampage exasperated. "Let's just go!" The trio began their assault on the statue. As powerful as the monster was, the creature was also very sluggish. Being overwhelmed, the behemoth tried to use Flaming Blow. It raised it fist and slammed it to the ground. As it did, the hand caught on fire. Albel and Rampage got out of the attack's path and the burning knuckle struck the ground. When the Stone Golem raised its enormous fist, the only thing that remained was a small crater. However, the attack didn't phase the group. They continued landing blows at the monster. Albel and Rampage were slashing at the monster and Mirage used her Crescent Locus. The enemy tried to swat the team with its enormous hands, but the monster missed. Then it tried to use Flaming Kick, sending a burning foot to Mirage, but she evaded the attack and countered with another Aerial Assault. As the monster flailed and received damage at the same time, Albel ran up the massive statue's arm. When he reached its shoulder, the Glyphian used his Hand of Doom. He slashed viciously with his claw at the foe's face. By the third slash, the opponent reached for Albel, the swordsman leapt off the foe. When he landed, Albel used his Aura Wall. A wall of strange energy was formed by his gauntlet and the monster was suffering damage from the barrier. After a few slashes and strikes from Rampage and Mirage, the Stone Golem was reduced to a pile of stones.

"See, what did I tell you, simple," Albel said.

"Of course," Rampage said as she wrapped her arms around the Glyphian's gauntlet. "Then again, nothing can defeat you, Sir Nox."

"Get off of me, wench!" Albel hissed as he pulled his arm away from the woman.

"Geez, Albel," Cliff said. "Why do you have to be so rough with her? It's not everyday a sword-wielding megalomaniac like you can get the eye from the ladies."

"That's something coming from you, fool," sneered the swordsman.

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"Oh, nothing really. Just a known fact."

Before Cliff could approach Albel, Ravage held him back by his arm. "Not now, Cliff," she said.

"Now that we had our fair share of smack talking, let's get going," Maria said. Everyone except Cliff and Albel nodded. They went down the cellar and entered a new room. This new area was but a small space. On the other side, was a small altar in front of a strange wall. In fact, the barrier design in the frame looked different the rest of the room. It was clear that they had found the gate.

"Could this be the gate?" Fayt asked.

"Maybe..." Sophia pondered. "Blair said it would look like an altar."

"Staying here and talking isn't going to do anything," Maria said.

"She's right," Cyrus agreed. "Let's do this thang!"

"All right," Fayt said. He noticed Sophia's face painted in worry. "Don't worry. I'll go with you."

"Fayt..." A relieved Sophia said. The two walked to the altar. Sophia placed the orb on the stand and began to concentrate. After a bright flash, the wall in front of them vanished, exposing a room similar to what they seen in the Sphere Company building.

"Whoa..." was the only thing that escaped Maria's mouth.

"Luther must be in here..." Fayt said.

The group proceeded into the new area. They traversed through the first half of Firewall area. Here, they faced many of the defense programs, but they were no match against the group's abilities. "So this is where we'll find that guy you're talking about?" Adray said. "I must say, it is a little strange. Even to my taste."

"That's right," Nel answered.

"If what you say is true, this must be where he resides," Ravage said.

"It is," Cyrus said. "You can be sure of that."

"At least we made it here," Sophia said.

"We sure did," Fayt replied.

"There you all are," a familiar voice said. They looked up ahead and saw Blair walking towards them.

"Blair?" Sophia said in confusion.

"What are you doing here?" Fayt asked.

"I came here to help you guys. I would've preferred coming here physically, but that was impossible. The only way I could communicate with you in the Owner's Special Development Lab is through this projection."

"The Owner's Special what?" Maria said. "Are there any other security programs we need to know about?"

"Of course. This is where he works, after all. It's restricted even for employees such as myself."

"That sucks," Rampage said.

"So is the Owner... or should I say Luther, available here?" Fayt asked.

"I'm afraid not," Blair answered.

"What do you mean?" Nel asked. "It's as if we're being led by our noses."

"Are you lying to us Blair?" Peppita asked.

"If this is a trick, I'll be sure to slice that head off that pretty neck of yours," Albel threatened.

"I assure you this is no trick," Blair reassured.

"Well if he's not here, then where could he be?" Cliff asked.

"Are you going to tell us?" Ransack asked.

Blair nodded. "Where you are now is the passageway that links the Eternal Sphere with the Owner's space. Here, information is sent to the Eternal Sphere and blocks forbidden access."

"I get it," Maria said.

"Since we're interloping, a whole slew of security mechanisms will be waiting to delete us," Cyrus said.

"That's what I think, however I'm not too sure about the details," Blair said. She then pondered for a minute before saying, "Let's go. I'll try and lend my services anyway possible." The group continued their trek through the passageway. As they suspected the area was filled with security barriers and infested with monsters created by Luther as defensive mechanisms. However, the gang was able to bypass these measures and set off the switches need to proceed through the place.

In about three hours, they arrived at a control room. On the other side was a large transporter. "Could this be the device that connects to Luther's space?" Fayt asked Blair.

The woman nodded. "I'll see if I can activate it," she said. Before she could reach the control panel, a small mecha appeared at the scene. It was bulky, and hovered by two large propellers. It carried a large machine gun as a weapon. The machine's scope locked onto Fayt and fired. The swordsman barely dodged the attack. Cyrus and Peppita joined the fray.

"Blair, we'll hold that thing off while you get to work," Cyrus said.

"Okay. I'll give it my best shot!" Cyrus nodded and turned his MP3 Player to"Keeps Spinnin'" by Birdman. Both swordsman were slashing at the metallic menace while Peppita was hitting it with her cape. It appeared that the monster was overwhelmed, but that was before it let loose its turrets. Then it fired missiles at the group, knocking Peppita out of its way. With the fighters down, the Battlecopter hovered higher into the air and used its Back Throw. As it flew around the room, the weapon dropped missiles onto the floor and was out of the groups reach. Cyrus opened his wings and glided over to Peppita where she grabbed onto Cyrus' arm. With strong flap, the shizznit carried the Velbaysian to the airborne foe. The enemy unit began shooting, but Cyrus was able to dodge the heavy fire. When they were in range, Cyrus swung Peppita to the Battlecopter, where she grabbed it with her Magic Hook. She then drew herself to the enemy, delivering a powerful kick when she made contact. After her attack, Peppita bounced off the opponent and was caught by Cyrus as he zipped by. The assault was then followed by a hail of energy that slammed at the machine, coming from Fayt's Air Raid attack. The enemy fell to the ground by the strong symbological attack. When the foe recovered, Cyrus finished it off with the Times Up. With many punches and kicks from the drunken fist style, the monster was destroyed.

"Okay," Fayt said. "Blair, are you ready?"

"Yes," the programmer said. "The transport to Luther's discontiguous space is ready." The group proceeded to through the transport device. Where they stepped was a sight to behold. Cyrus couldn't help but to stare in awe. In front of them was a large tower formed by staked platforms. "We've made it. This is Spiral Tower where the Owner stores his personal data. We're now in his space. We should also stay on our guard. The operating systems are powerful and will do whatever they can delete us."

"Ha!" Adray said. "Like that will stop me. All I can say is let them come and get me."

"That's right," Cyrus said. "Whatever Luther throws at us, we'll just send it back at him ten fold!"

"We didn't get this far just to turn back now," Sophia said.

"Right," Blair nodded. The group continued their trek with Blair not to far behind. However, before anyone knew it, something grabbed Blair and took her through a field.

Sophia turned back only to yell, "Blair?"

"What's happening?" Fayt said.

"Something took Blair!"

"Now that was just whack," Cyrus said.

"There must be something in store for us," Maria said.

"We have to go help her!" Sophia advised.

Fayt pondered about the situation and replied, "Blair can take care of herself. Right now, we need to stay on course."

"He's correct," Maria said.

"If we don't hurry, everythin' you know will be nothin' but a footnote."

"Is that okay, Sophia?" Fayt asked. Sophia was silent, but she complied. She knew that there was nothing that could do for Blair right now. They pressed on through the first floor of Spiral Tower. Though there were no signs of Executioners, the creatures here were relentless. Nonetheless, they manage to drive back units and destroy the large crystals that blocked their path. The group arrived on the second floor of the strange tower. When they arrived at the center, everyone was stunned to what they came across. Deactivating a transporter to the next floor was what appeared to be... Blair. "Blair, what are you doing?" Fayt said.

There was no response. "Blair...?" Sophia said.

"Are you okay?" Mirage asked.

"Hey woman, we're speaking to you!" Albel shouted.

Suddenly, the woman began to laugh maliciously. Everyone was stirred. "

"Hold the phone here," Cyrus said with squinted eyes.

"That isn't Blair," Rampage said.

"That's right!" the fake said. "Or are you wrong? I am who I am, but yet, I am who I am not."

"What is she talking about?" Nel said.

"I am a program he created taking the shape of Ms. Lansfield."

"Great, a damn duplication," Cyrus said.

"You said 'he'? Do you mean the Owner?" Fayt asked.

The copy gave a hearty laugh at the team. "That is right."

"How disgusting," Maria said.

"You, the corrupted entities that have defiled the Eternal Sphere, have now ventured into a forbidden realm. You are to be exterminated. It is time for you... to die."

"We will never give in!" Ravage said.

"Not a chance!" Adray said.

"Give me a break!" Peppita said.

"Back off!" Ransack shouted.

"Naughty little children," the fake Blair said as she began forming power in her hand. "Those who disobey must be strictly disciplined."

"Shut up now, fool!" Albel hissed.

"Say good-bye and feel the wrath of Pseudo Blair!" With the MP3 Player turned to "Gandrake Nebulized" from Samurai Legend Musashi, Cyrus, Fayt, Maria, and Nel charged into battle as did the enemy, Pseudo Blair. When they were in range, the foe sprouted hand like wings from her back and began swinging them while creating strong winds. The attack gave the group a fair amount. Maria strengthened the team with Angel Feather and the rest of the group performed Healing. Fayt and Cyrus slashed at the enemy with powerful blows. Before Nel could join the fray, the trio were lashed by Pseudo Blair's energy. She then combined it with her Death Howl. The group was knocked back rings of shockwaves. Maria, who was out of range, was rapidly shooting at the enemy. The copy was closing in on the Quark captain. As she did, Fayt and Cyrus attacked with Dimensional Door and Parallel Portal. As Fayt was being consumed by a tornado of energy, Cyrus made a tear in space time. The vanished for a second and slashed at Pseudo Blair, Cyrus emerged in front of Maria and sliced at the foe while Fayt appeared from the side and slashed. Nel used her Shockwave, inflicting more damage at to the enemy. Pseudo Blair was weak. With her last strength of energy, she summoned a large pillar of light that shot down on the field. Cyrus flew from the attack as the rest of the group jumped out of the way. Even though they felt the shockwaves emitted from the strike, they were ready to deliver the finishing blow with powerful kicks and strong slashes. In mid-air, Cyrus threw his light saber at Blair, which returned to his hand, delivering the final blow that caused Pseudo Blair to fall. The battle was over.

"Ha!" Cyrus sneered with his arms crossed. "We cut yo' ass down good, bitch!"

"Spill the beans," Roger said. "What did you do with Blair?"

Pseudo Blair chuckled. "... I have no idea."

Maria shook her head. "You lie. You know where she is."

The data clone cackled malevolently. "Is that so? How about you go look then."

As she was disappearing, Sophia began calling her back. "Wait! Come back!" Unfortunately, the enemy vanished. "I hope Blair's alright..."

"The only thing we can do is hope," Fayt said.

"We might have a problem," Mirage said. She stood at the transporter, along with Cliff and Ravage.

Roger moaned. "What now?"

"Well the good news is that this is the transporter that should take us to the next floor," Cliff said.

"The bad news is that this device is currently unfunctional," Ravage said. "The operating systems have been ceased. It must be due to these enigmatic geometrical minerals of ample proportions."

"Um..." Peppita was confused. "What did she say?" the Velbaysian asked Ravage.

"You got me. I don't even know what she says half of the time."

"Ravage said that the transporter is down and is blocked by overgrown crystals," Cyrus clarified.

"Oh..." Both Peppita and Ravage said in unison.

"Is there any other way?" Ransack asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Cliff said.

"Let's look somewhere else," Maria suggested.

"Right," Sophia said. The group proceeded northbound on the second floor. When they got to the second to last platform, they made a discovery. Confined to a strange prison surrounded by three different colored crystals, was the real Blair hovering above. "Blair!" Sophia yelped.

"You're all okay!" Blair said. "I'm so relieved."

Maria sighed in relief, but Albel had some doubts and only stared. "It's not like I really care or anything, but are you real?"

"Pardon me?"

"Well, we ran into you a little while ago," Cliff said. "Or someone who looked like you, except a little on the nasty side."

"I see. It must have been that program. She trapped me here ever since. I swear, the Owner is good at making the most hideous of creations."

"You don't say," Roger replied.

"So how do we get you out of that?" Nel asked.

"To tell you the truth, I have no idea," Blair said. "I can't do anything. There must be some kind of mechanism."

"So all we have to do is search and deactivate it," Rampage said.

"One problem," Ransack pointed out. "What is that mechanism supposed to be? I haven't seen anything."

"Good point."

"Wait..." Blair said as she scanned her surroundings. "Perhaps these crystals serve as some kind of purpose... Did you come across something like these?"

"Crystals, you say?" Mirage asked.

"This is just great," Maria said.

"... I'm terribly sorry," said a guilty Blair.

"No, no, I didn't mean you. We're also having problems with the transporter further back."

"That's true," Adray said. "We can't use it."

"Hang on there," Sophia said. "We'll get you out."

"It won't be long."

"Thank you," Blair said.

"You said crystal's right?" Cyrus said.

"Yes, I did."

"The transport system was also being blocked by ones as these.

"What are you getting at?" Adray asked.

"It's all to the beat. All we need to do is find the crystals of the same kind and smash 'em to bits."

"I see..." Fayt said. "Once we do that, Blair will be freed and the transporter will start to work again."

"There are three paths and three separate crystals," Ransack said. "We'll need to split up." The group nodded and went to different paths. Cyrus, Ransack, Fayt and Sophia took the red corridor. When they entered the area, they found a red crystal. Before they could take another step, out of nowhere the team was ambushed by three large Chimera Hawks. They were like the harpies they faced before, except red and green and stronger than their outside counterparts. They worked in packs to try and defeat the four. However, after a few slashes and symbological attacks, the feathered trio of terror was defeated.

They went back to the area that held Blair captive as well as everyone else. The crystals were destroyed and Blair was released. "Are you okay, Blair?" Sophia asked.

"Yes, I alright. Thank you guys."

"Don't mention it," Cliff said.

"It's our job," Cyrus replied nonchalantly.

"Don't make me do it again."

"What's wrong?" Mirage said jokingly. "Did it hurt your demeanor of being the wicked one?"

"Don't start with me worm."

"...We have to get going," Maria said. "That took quite a long time."

"Yes," Ravage said. "We have none to spare."

The group rushed back to the transporter, which was still not working. "I'm guessing we're stuck here?" Peppita asked.

"That's what it looks like," Roger replied.

"Wait just a moment..." Blair said and began reactivating the transporter. "Okay, this should be work now," she said after a few minutes of repair.

"That was tight," Cyrus said.

"Thank you very much," Sophia said gratuitously.

"Let's continue," Maria said. "We need to get to Luther quickly."

"Right," Fayt said. The group hurried to their destination. Aside from defeating the powerful security protocols and enemy monsters, they also had to solve puzzles that used crystals. In less than four hours, they arrived in front of a path that led to two large doors. It was none other than the doorway to the god, the entrance to the Creator himself. "This is it," Fayt said.

"It all comes down to this," Maria said.

"Will we actually be able to save everything we know?" Sophia asked.

"I know we will," Cyrus said. "After all, we're in this thing together."

"He's right," Fayt agreed.

"After all, it was destiny that we came here," Maria said. "It was also destiny that we met one another."

"Now then," Cyrus said. "Let's bum rush this punk before murks our peeps and everythin' else."

"What did he just say?" Ransack asked.

Nel pondered and somehow had an idea on what the young shizznit said. "I have a feeling he said 'Let's crash that coward's party before he kills everyone and everything'."

"Yes, that's correct!" Cyrus said. Nel smiled.

"And Cyrus," Fayt said. "Once we stop Luther, we'll help defeat Lystara, just like we promised to do."

"Really? Thanks, homeboy!" The group continued their trek over the narrow bridge. When they were in range, the large doors opened and the gang went through into the unknown.

* * *

Part 20.5: The God's Fury

The inside of the Luther's lab was something that nobody, especially Cyrus, has ever seen. It was like they were in a giant clock. But instead of keeping track of time, everyone had the uneasy feeling that this was where time itself was kept. Cyrus watched the large pendulum sway from side to side, knowing that any second, he, Fayt, Sophia, and Maria would face Luther. On the other side of the large platform, typing on a giant computer, was Luther. "How... How could this be happening...?" the Creator said.

"Luther... Don't you understand...?" Blair said. "Please stop this?"

"You want me to stop, and yet you led them here? It seems that I was betrayed by my own sister."

"Wait, wait, wait," Cyrus said. "Say what?"

"I'm starting to get really confused," Roger said.

"So the Owner is Blair's brother," Maria said.

"That's a real shocker," Rampage said.

"Don't you see?" Blair asked to her sibling. "The beings of the Eternal Sphere have gained intellectual development that rivals our own. We should allow them to let them go."

"You're joking?" Luther shouted. "Everything here is nothing but game data. The cosmos of the Eternal Sphere is nothing but a game. It's kid's play!"

"But now that they have minds similar to our own, they're no different than we are. It's all clear, we cannot interfere in their dimension as we please. Doesn't this tell you that they're equal to us? Don't they deserve to live?"

"But they also gained the power to cross into our dimension. With such abilities, they can inflict harm upon us. Such threats will not be tolerated..."

"That wouldn't have happened if you didn't threaten to destroy their's. In my mind, they did what was possible to stop you!"

"What are you talking about! The very existence of these programs are what caused the massive bugs. What is wrong with deleting flawed code?"

"Flawed code?" Fayt said. "Sure we were made by you, but that doesn't mean you can decide what we can and cannot do! We deserve a right to live and die on our own!"

Luther shook his head. "What are you talking about? You have no rights. You are nothing more than ones and zeroes."

"Even if that's true, we still have thoughts and feelings. We want to save this dimension and everybody in it."

"She's right!" Adray said. "If we let you destroy us and all of the others, we would be dishonoring ourselves and everyone that believed in us!"

"You really believe that!" Luther snapped. "Your 'thoughts and feelings' are nothing more than fabrications."

"You still don't understand?" Blair said.

"Shut up, Blair! You're the one that doesn't understand! No matter how much a level of existence tries to advance, they are still nothing. Data must obey their creator and face deletion with no resistance."

"We won't let you do that!" Sophia shouted.

"Don't think everything will go your way!" Fayt said as he held his sword up to Luther. "We are not you puppets!"

"Cyrus. I must congratulate you." Luther sneered. "You have led these abnormalities here to face their deletion."

"You mean..." Ravage said. "You really were the mole after all!"

"Tell me he's lying," Peppita said.

Cyrus began to chuckle and then guffaw. "You guys really fell for the old homie in distress thing, didn't you?"

"What?" Fayt said.

"Yeah, that's right. I played you all!"

"You damn traitor!" Cliff yelled.

"Come, Cyrus," Luther said. "Aide me in my battle against these dysfunctional programs."

Cyrus smiled and walked over to Luther's side. "You see, I'm a tactician. When I learn the weaknesses from my target, I exploit them. It's simple really."

"You double-crossing worm!" Albel shouted.

"I can't believe this!" Ransack said.

"You have no idea!" Cyrus said. "Now it's time to say you're prayers. Just think of this as a new beginning everyone. Parallel Portal!" Cyrus shouted as he tore a wormhole through space and time infront of the group and jumped in. Luther smiled as he awaited for Cyrus to deliver the blow. Fayt, Blair, and everyone else also waited. In less than a minute, the hole opened up again, but at an unexpected place. On there side, but directed at Luther. Before the Creator could say anything, the young shizznit flew at him with a jump kick that had enough force to knock him down. Everyone was in shock at what they just witness. "See? I told you guys you had no idea."

"Is this another trick?" Fayt shouted.

"Dude, let me put it to you simply," he said as he walked over to them. "The whole thing was a trick!"

"I don't understand," Blair said.

"I knew Luther thought I was still on his side. So, I used that to my advantage. Though I can't believe you actually thought I would leave you guys? After all, I wouldn't abandon my homies. I keep it trill."

"Cyrus..." Nel said.

"Um..." Cliff was at loss of words. "I knew that he wouldn't turn on us."

"Of course you did," Mirage said.

"Sorry for that," Cyrus said. "I just had to make it look and sound good."

"Just don't do it again," Roger said. Cyrus chuckled.

Luther rose back up to his feet and was very pissed off. "It seems that they have corrupted you. Unfortunately, that means you must also be eliminated."

"Yeah? Well you should've thought about that before trying to delete everybody. All I have to say is bring it on, tweaker!"

Fayt, Maria, Sophia pulled out their weapons. Cyrus, after he turned his MP3 Player to "The End of Destiny" from Panzer Dragoon Orta, he drew both the Abysmal Offender and the red Light Saber. The four charged at Luther who wield a long lance. Luther fired his Lazer Beams at Cyrus, but they missed as the young shizznit quickly jumped out of the way of the attack. Maria attacked with her Gravity Bullet. A slow, powerful sphere of energy caught Luther and began to damaging the supposed 'god'. However, Luther was able to escape it and slashed at the Quark leader. She was hit hard by the attack, but was still able to defend herself. Sophia used Lightning Strike. A large cloud formed above the man and then currents of electricity was fired upon him. A little singed, Luther was able to send a wave toward that hit the symbologist. Cyrus and Fayt teamed up slashing with their Darkness Blade and Divine Blade. The attacks were able to weaken the Creator enough for him to kneel. "This isn't happening... I'm the Creator... How is this happening."

"Dude, you're just some lonely dude that can't get some," Cyrus said.

"Luther, stop this madness," Blair pleaded. She then turned to the group. "Quickly, you guys get the Eternal Sphere back-up running while I try to fill in the gaps."

Fayt nodded.

"I will not be bested... by programs... made by my hands." Fayt was walking passed Luther until the Sphere president shoved the swordsman away with his lance. He hobbled to his computer and began pressing commands. "I understand... I was only deleting the corrupted areas. If the viruses are truly uniting, then I must destroy... everything!"

"L-Luther!" Blair stuttered.

Luther began laughing maliciously. "Of course! Just because I deleted the Milky Way, why should I stop there? I'll destroy all the data that is linked to the Eternal Sphere! That will surely destroy the viruses... It's so simple, I should have thought about this before!" Suddenly, a powerful shield surrounded the computer with Luther inside. "Your trickery is over! The universe shall be destroyed!"

"Luther, running such a program while projecting yourself in the Eternal Sphere is dangerous! Stop this now!" As Blair tried to get closer, the force knocked her back. Cliff, Rampage and Peppita ran to her aide.

"Holy shizznit!" Cyrus said. "The punk-ass nark has gone completely mental!"

Luther's laughing echoed through the room, even through his dome. "Destroy! Destroy! Destroy! Everything and everyone, be gone! Righteousness shall prevail!"

"You'll never get away with this!" Maria snapped.

The orb that surrounded the computer and dispersed. Everyone could sense a new, higher power in Luther. They weren't to far from the truth. Luther floated toward the group with large, hand-like wings with his spear in his real hand. "It's all over. You're universe will be destroyed in moments. You cannot stop the inevitable and you will not defeat me!"

"That's what you think!" Fayt said.

"That's right!" Cyrus shouted. "Like Fayt said, we'll still fight for our existence. Even to the bitter end!" The young shizznit turned to "Highbrow" from Star Ocean: Till the End of Time. Cyrus, Fayt, Maria, and Sophia once against Luther. As Sophia used symbology from afar with Maria shooting at a distance, Cyrus and Fayt parried blows against the god-like being. They also caused damage with Divine Blade and Darkness Blade. However, the strikes were being blocked half of the time. Luther retaliated strong attacks from his spear that hit the swordsmen down. He then turned his attention to Sophia and fired his Laser Beams attack. Unable to avoid the strikes, Sophia was hit hard. Maria was the next to suffer from his Expansion Force. A wave swept up by Luther's spearhead knocked Maria down. Sophia saw the carnage, and charged up to use Faerie Light. However, the Creator saw her attempt and was ready to stop it with his Perfect Symmetry. Luther called upon two orbs of light (one in each hand). As he slowly rose, the balls of energy began to increase in size. As soon as Sophia rejuvenated the health of her party, Luther's attack, which combined into one enormous mass of unstable energy was hurled at the ground. Fayt managed to rise to his feet and grab Sophia before the ball fell. Once it landed, a large explosion covered the field. Maria covered her face as Cyrus crouched with his wings folded in front of him. After the attack was over, and a few hundred feet away from the impact, was Sophia who was covered by Fayt. Both rose back to their feet and healed themselves while Cyrus and Maria started the assault on Luther. Maria used her Laser Blast, shooting the ground around her which then became a wall of flames. That attack gave considerable damage. However, it still wasn't enough to stop the madman. Luther blew the captain and the dark swordsman away with his Flaming Divide. His wings caused a small ring of explosions that bombarded the two fighters. Then they were flown back with two powerful waves of fire. Maria recovered from the move and retaliated with a new and more powerful attack thanks to her Alteration gene. She seemed to be in a trance and Cyrus stared as she began to initiate her Energy Burst. Her laser glowed and as soon as she pulled the trigger a large long-ranged blast fired at the man and caused a serious amount of damage. After the attack, Maria was beginning to loose her balance. Cyrus snapped out of his stunned look and got up. Before the blue-haired leader hit the ground, the shizznit caught her and dragged her to a "safe" part of the field. Maria slowly regained consciousness as Cyrus used his Healing on her and himself. Cyrus rejoined the battle with Fayt and Sophia. Again, the team were caught by Flaming Divide. Now Sophia was beginning to act strange. She raised her wand above her head and used Blood Scylla. A distortion in time and space was opened and a large being known as the Lord of Daemonium, began absorbing some of Luther's health. Then it turned to Sophia and replenished her health with the spoils. Luther was about to retaliate with another Perfect Symmetry, but the move was interrupted by Cyrus and Fayt who used their Dimension Door and Parallel Portal. As soon as Luther was about to slash at them, the swordsman used their Side Kick and Raptor's Revenge. Now the enemy was on his last half of power. He was able to deter Cyrus and Fayt away to use his Insanity Prelude. The entire field was covered in a dense crimson fog. Suddenly, the floor began to shake violently beneath their feet as four arching claws on four sides of the field formed. Above them in the center was an orb of light which Luther encased himself in. Instinctively, Cyrus and Fayt took Maria and Sophia to the edge of the field. As the orb started to launch small beams of light, everyone braced themselves. Luckily, Because they were out of the attack's range the lights dispersed at a safe distance from them. The attack was over and the field returned to normal. Luther hovered in the middle of the field, facing the four worn out warriors. Though he was weak, the Creator was ready to destroy the group with one final Perfect Symmetry. Both Fayt and Cyrus were beginning to feel their powers manifest once more. The two floated over Luther, who was hovering with both orbs in his wings. The Creator didn't notice the two as he was too preoccupied with Maria and Sophia. "This is it!" Luther said with a grimace on his face. "I win! It's over... It's time for you to be deleted!"

"I think this punk ass counted his eggs too quickly," Cyrus said as both his bat-wings spread wide and Fayt's bird-like wings open.

"That's what it looks like," Fayt replied. Luther turned his head when he saw the two swordsman ready to strike the finishing blow. His face was painted in fear. "You were right, Luther, this is it. But we're not going anywhere!"

"We told you we would fight to win. We tried to reason wit' you, but you were just too damn impudent."

"And after everything you've done and all the people you have hurt, you are beyond forgiveness!"

"Think of this as a present from us to you!"

"You can't destroy me!" shouted Luther. "Y-You're data! I-I created you!"

"Should've thought about that before trying to destroy everything! Ready Fayt?"

"I'm ready!" At that moment, the two launched their "ultimate" attacks. Fayt with his Ethereal Blast and Cyrus with his Shadow Blast. Both concentrated energies of light and dark hit Luther at the same time and caused overwhelming damage. The Ethereal Blast sent strong waves along the ground once it hit the foe. When Shadow Blast struck Luther at the same time, a large pillar also formed while balls of dark energy hit the ground.

In the end, after a long fought battle, Luther was slowly disintegrating from the bottom up. Cyrus and Fayt gently lowered to the platform. "I-I don't believe it! Damn, they're nothing but data! Why am I-I being deleted? Destroyed! Why?" After a loud scream, Luther Lansfeld, formally known as the Creator, was completely erased.

Before anyone could say anything, the room began to glow. "What's tha dealio?" Cyrus shouted. "Why's everything glowing?"

"This can't be–" Blair said. She rushed to the computer and began reading the names off. "The SNC, the small congulent economy deleted. M31 the andromadic galaxy deleted. IC1613 deleted. NGG6822 deleted. At this rate, everything will cease to exist."

"Our universe is deleting before our eyes," Maria said.

"But this can't be right!" Cyrus said.

"Unfortunately, it is."

"Do you think we were too late?" Sophia asked.

Maria looks down at her hand and watches as it slowly disintegrates. Cyrus looks to see his fellow comrades being erased. "This can't be..." Cyrus gasped.

"I wonder what will happen?" Maria asked.

"Just believe that we exist," Fayt said.

"Yes, of course," Cyrus said. "Believe with every bone in our body."

"Right," Maria said. "We're not just programs that were created by someone."

Sophia nodded. "Just because we were told to face deletion doesn't mean we should."

"Exactly," Fayt said.

"Choose to live..." Cyrus pondered. "Yes... we must! It would be pointless to have challenged and defeat a hypocrisy if we just allowed ourselves to die." With that said, Cyrus and the rest of the party closed their eyes as the last of their surroundings were destroyed. _"So... this is death?"_ he thought. _"Dark, and cold. A vast wasteland of emptiness. No signs of life. No such factors as heaven or hell. Nothing and no one but my thoughts. Hold up. How am I still able to think? No... I'm not deleted. There is only one logical explanation: I survived. I know who I am and where I came from. I know that my soul still exists. Which would mean... I still exist. And since I'm still able to think, I must be..."_

"Cyrus..." a woman's voice called.

"_That voice... It sounds so... so familiar..."_

"Cyrus... Wake up..."

"_It's calling me... Someone is calling me... Sorry, but eternity will have to wait!"_ Cyrus opened his red eyes slowly.

When they were finally opened, everything was blurry, especially a red figure. He rubbed his eyes again and saw it to be Nel's face. "Hello, I'm glad you're back!" she said.

"Nel? Is that you?"

"Who else could it be?"

Cyrus looked around and found themselves at the Palmira Plains. "We're alive... We're alive!" he said as he embraced Nel tightly. Nel's eyes were widely opened and Cyrus realized what he was doing and quickly unwrapped his arms. "Um... My bad... Nel..." said Cyrus with a flushed face.

"No, no... It's okay... I'm glad too," Nel said blushing herself.

"Ehem..." another voice said, bringing the Aquarian's and the shizznit's attention. "What about us?" Maria asked.

"Welcome back, Cyrus," Fayt greeted.

"Great to be back," Cyrus said.

"It took you long enough," Cliff said.

"We thought you were a goner," Rampage said.

"Yeah, tell me about it," Cyrus replied.

"I wonder, though..." Fayt pondered. "How did we get back?"

"Don't ask me, worm," Albel sneered. "How am I supposed to know?"

"Weren't we supposed to be... deleted?" Peppita asked.

"I think that everything we saw and perceived as real were fabrications made by the 4D Beings. But after Luther disabled our perception, everything was erased. No perception means no existence."

"But yet, we saw everything as a reality," Ravage said. "Even us, from different dimensions of our own, saw it to be real."

"It would seem that what our minds, that were real in my opinion, had us believe that dimension was real."

"Of course!" Adray said. "It doesn't matter what someone like that Luther character says. Our minds were real the whole time, even if everything else wasn't."

Mirage walked over to Fayt. "And that's why he was unable to delete our consciousness. He only deleted everything that was a simulation. Doing that, he was unable to erase what was outside his creation."

"So you're saying that he didn't know we actually existed?" Ransack asked.

"Perhaps..." Ravage said. "It is possible that the universe we knew no longer exists. However, it does live in our minds."

"If everyone feels like us right now, perhaps that universe really does exist," Maria said.

"This is certainly challenging many fields of Quantum sciences," Cyrus said.

"This is quite an enigma," Nel said.

"Whatever," Albel said. "The point is that we won, right?"

"Does it really matter?" Cliff said. "Isn't everything done with? If it is, then let's just leave it at that."

"That's a real nice way of doing things," Ravage sneered.

"Good point," Cyrus said. "As much of a genius as I am, I rather kick back and chill over postulating theories any day."

Suddenly, the group was stopped by a cackle. "Who's there?" Peppita asked.

"Oh just little ol' me," the voice said.

The voice sent chills down Cyrus' spine. "I knew we would meet again, Lystara." Everyone turned around and saw her walking from under the tree.

"It's good you all haven't forgotten me."

"After what you did to us, how could we," Ransack glared.

"I must praise all of you on your work. Not only did you defeat your 'god', but you also proved yourself. Before, you were just a subdivision in space-time. But now, you've become your own dimension. It's quite a feat, really."

"Why are you here, fool," Albel glared.

"Easy. To destroy you, take you souls, and eliminate this universe. After all, you've outlived your usefulness."

"Outlived our usefulness?" Fayt repeated in confusion.

"You see, I was unable to destroy you myself because you were a universe inside another. Now that you have become a parallel, I can cross here easily."

"So that's why you sent these 'tests' of yours," Cyrus said. "You used them to do your dirty work."

"I call it 'volunteer services'."

"You can't defeat us!" Cliff said.

"There's one of you and fourteen of us!" Ravage said. "The odds are stack against you!"

"Or so you think. Oh, and Cyrus, your Master said 'hi'."

"You celestial bitch..." Cyrus growled.

"Now, now. There is no need for profanity. In fact, since you have proven your worth, I'll allow you to face me."

"Let's go!"

"Not yet, dear Splicer." Before Cyrus could say anything, Maria was trapped in a blue sphere like the one that cloned Cyrus. At the same time Nel was also trapped in a red sphere.

"Maria! Nel!" shouted Fayt.

"What is the meaning of this?" Ransack hissed as the two warriors pounded against their prison.

"Just to make this interesting, I want to use these two as my captives," Lystara replied with a smug smile. "Why you may ask? For sheer amusement and to make sure that you don't have any second thoughts."

"Let 'em go!" Cliff shouted.

"If you want a fight, you got one!" Adray said.

"Very well. Then I would hurry," Lystara said. "Who knows how long it will be until their souls belong to me."

"Get the hell back here!" Cyrus shouted, but it was too late. Lystara had already left the area with his captive comrades not too far behind. However, the rip that Lystara emerged from still remained.

"We better hurry," Rampage said. "There's no telling how much time they have."

"That's right!" Fayt said. "Are you ready Cyrus?"

"More than I'll ever be!" With no time to spare, the twelve hastily traveled through the wormhole. Even though they had no idea as to what they were going to face, their mission was clear: to rescue Nel and Maria and defeat Lystara before it was too late.

* * *

Author's Note 2: The last chapter will be coming up by the end of next month. This is truly scintillating. Expect an action pact story and some drama. Also, two new characters that will join Cyrus and the rest of the party on their quest. This is getting hot!

* * *


	22. Chapter 21

Part 21.1: Return of the Homies

"Do you think he's still alive?" asked a new, yet familiar voice over Cyrus' unconscious body.

"Who knows?" asked another, more gruff voice. "Then again, I didn't know we'd meet him here either, homie."

"_Those voices..."_ Cyrus thought. _"They sound so... familiar..."_ As Cyrus opened his eyes, the two voices stopped their conversation and turned their attention to the shizznit.

"Dude, he's gettin' up," said the gruff voice.

"Oh man..." When Cyrus regained his focus, and scanned his surroundings. He looked like he was on a rocky mountainside. He continued until he stopped at what was in front of him. He was stunned at what he saw on the two pairs of feet. One pair wore Adidas while the other wore white sneakers with a gold lining. He slowly looked up and examined the figures. The one with a pair of Adidas was a white male wearing a red Fubu sweater, green baggy pants, and a black Joker beanie. The other with white shoes was an Asian male with black eyeglasses, and a blue blazer. He wore a yellow bandanna and baggy red jeans. "Am I trippin'?" Cyrus asked himself.

"You tell us, dog?" The one with the Fubu sweater said.

"This is a strange coincidence," said the boy with the glasses.

"Jack! Lude!" shouted Cyrus.

"Long time, no see," Jack said nonchalantly. "Tight trench coat."

"Where have you been?" Lude asked.

"It's a hella long story, homes," Cyrus said. "I'll tell you, but you won't believe it! Hey wait a minute. How did you guys get here?"

"I'm sure telling of our arrival to this strange area will be lengthy as well."

"Okay then. We'll wait until we join back with the others."

"Others?" Jack said in confusion. "What are you talkin' about, bro?"

"I came here with a few comrades."

"Really?" Lude asked. "You were the only one we saw."

"That's strange," Cyrus said as he folded his arms and turned his head down. Suddenly, a small moan caught his attention. Walking around a rock was Ransack. "Ransack!" shouted Cyrus as he rushed to her aide.

"Well, I see that you're alright," she said with a smirk.

"Who's the hot babe?" Jack asked.

"Her name's Ransack," Cyrus introduced. "She's one of the people that helped me through this."

"I'm Ransack Aries. Call me a hot babe again, and I'll be sure to slit your tongue from your mouth." Jack gulped while Lude chuckled softly. "Who are these guys?"

"My homeboys from my world, Jack and Lude. But we'll talk about that later. So tell me, where's Fayt and everyone else?"

"Follow me." The four walked through the rocky terrain. In a few minutes, they found the rest of Cyrus' party. "Found him."

"Cyrus, glad to see you're okay," Mirage said

"Good to see you, too," Cyrus replied.

"Cyrus, who are they?" Fayt asked.

"Oh. Well, these are my home G's from my dimension. My good friend with the bandana's Lude Kodinjo."

"It's a pleasure."

"The guy with the beanie is Jack Ritz a.k.a. Cracker Jack."

"Hey!" Jack shouted. "It's DJ Jack, baby! Straight up, gangsta I is! All the ladies come over to this. East side, home boy! You best recognize. Master of the element four!" After the rap, Jack crossed his arms. "Do you want mo'?"

As soon as Jack finished rapping, Lude cupped his face with both hands while Cyrus put his hands on his forehead as if he had a migraine. The rest of the group gasped as they had no idea what came out of the kid's mouth. "Why must you start that insipid rambling every time we're introduced?" Lude shouted harshly.

"It's called keepin' it trill, homie. That's how I roll twenty-four-seven. That's also how it gets the chicks."

"Yeah," Cyrus said. "With a couple 5-0s, a porkchopper, the occasional stun gun..."

"It's hard to believe that we're all geniuses at a young age," Lude said. "It's even harder to imagine such a ruffian as Jack to have such an attribute." Lude turned to Fayt and the group. "Please excuse his demeanor. Though he is intelligent, he uses his mouth more than his brain."

"Man, stop gettin' heavy on me, dogs!"

"Okay, OG Loc," Cyrus said.

"I could see how they're his friends, alright," Peppita whispered to Sophia.

"My name is Fayt Leingod. It's nice to meet both of you."

"I'm Sophia Esteed."

"You can call me Ravage Zinfandel. It is a pleasure."

"Albel. You better remember that."

"I'm Peppita Rossetti. It's good to see you."

"My name is Cliff Fittir."

"I'm Sir Roger S. Huxley. I like your style Jack. Perhaps we could be good allies."

Jack shrugged. "I guess that's cool."

"I'm Adray Lasbard. Don't let my age fool you. I'm as powerful as any of you youngsters."

"I'm Ransack Aries. Then again, we've already met now haven't we?"

"The name's Rampage Driftwater."

"I'm Mirage Koas."

"It's nice to meet your acquaintance," Lude said. "Cyrus, can I see you for a second? You too, Jack."

"Sure," Cyrus said as he and Jack went a few feet away.

"Are these who I think they are?"

"That's right, they're from SO3, man."

"That's totally psyched!" Jack inadvertently shouted. The two quickly hushed Jack and continued their conversation. "What?"

"Dude, whatever you do, don't say anything about that," Cyrus said. "From what I have learned, the word 'fictional' don't apply with dimensions. Especially when the factors of time and space are thrown into the mix."

"But wait, shouldn't they be in their world? Why are they here?"

"When we get back over there, I'll tell you. And then you could tell me how you got here yourselves."

"Sounds like a good idea," Lude agreed. After evaluating their next plan of action, the trio went back over to the group.

"What was that about?" Rampage asked.

"Nothin'," Jack said. "Just some catching up. Speakin' of which, why are you guys here?"

"Well, two friends of our friends were taken by some being named Lystara Catalysta," Fayt said.

"And that's not the only reason," Cliff pointed out. "She plans on destroying your dimension and our's too."

"What?" Jack shouted. "You can't be serious!"

"Dead serious."

"No way," Lude said. "So that's why there was a wormhole..."

"You came through one of those?" Cyrus asked

"That's right. It happened not too long after we left school."

"We was ready to get back home, when one of them vortex things popped out in front of us and sucked us up like a chick at McDonalds downin' a milkshake and then sue the next day cause she gained a few pounds," Jack said. "That's how we ended up here."

"So, that wasn't the only rip..." Cyrus said to himself.

"Tell us," Jack said. "How did you meet up wit' these guys? What was it like? Did you see any hot women?"

"You horny bastard," Lude muttered, but loud enough for Jack to here.

"Come on! You want to know that as much as I do."

"Alright," Cyrus said. "I'll tell you all I can." Cyrus told Lude and Jack the entire story. He told him how Master Diogo inscribed the symbols on his arms, how he met the group, and the enemies they faced. He also told them about discovering that the universe was created by 4D beings and he also told them how they stopped the Creator and his Executioners.

"Wow... Man that's straight up 730!"

"Don't need to tell me. I'm the guy that went through all of this, and I still can't believe I'm alive."

"So you say that you can sprout wings, huh? Let's see."

Cyrus stepped back and sprouted his wings. The two were speechless as they stared at the pair of black bat wings decorated with blood red on the bottom. "Believe me now?"

"Do you think?"

"Wait," Lude said. "You said you're up against someone named 'Lystara Catalysta', correct?"

"You know something, maggot?" Albel asked. "Spit it out, and make it quick."

"Watch it skirt boy or I'll make sure that dress isn't the only thing purple," Jack threatened.

"What did you say, fool? You had better watch it."

"I'm the fool, eh? At least I ain't so damn crunk, that I dress like my mamma!" Before the two tried to kill each other, Cyrus and Mirage held them back.

"Break it up!" Cyrus said.

"Now's not the time for such bickering amongst ourselves," Mirage said. The two calmed down and turned their backs to one another. "What was it that you were saying about Lystara, Lude."

"In legend, Lystara was an ancient deity who supposedly ruled over space and time many millennia ago," Lude explained. "It was said that she ruled and destroyed different realms or shape them to her liking and stole the souls of the beings for her private collection and for strength. One day, she discovered a multiverse, a gap that bridges dimensions if you will, powered by a certain tree called Yggdrasil."

"You mean the old north smith?" Jack asked.

"He mean's the old Norse myth!" Cyrus corrected. "The north smith is Yeg Drazil, G. To think, you aced foreign mythology."

"It's a whole lot different when it's written down, man!"

"I've heard of that," Sophia said. "It's supposed to be a large ash tree that connects heaven, earth, and hell."

"So you're saying that we're in this multiverse, fool?" Albel said.

"Correct," Lude complied. "Anyway, Lystara knew that with the tree of life's power, she would gain insurmountable abilities, capture an infinite number of souls and destroy a countless array of dimensions. With such power at her command, she would've been the strongest entity in existence. Making even gods quiver."

"Diabolical," Ravage said.

"However, her plans were stopped when a group of heroes defeated her and sealed her away in a time-space for all eternity."

"Until now," Cliff said. "Looks like she's back and digging up past plans."

"But where do we go?" Adray asked. "How are we supposed to find this Yggdrasil?"

"According to the legends, Yggdrassil is at the base of a large citadel. Jack and I were just there before you arrived."

"You mean you've seen it?" Cyrus asked.

"No, we haven't," Jack said. "But we do know it's somewhere in the city."

"Do you think Nel and Maria are there?" Rampage asked.

"I'm pretty sure they are," Cyrus said. "Can you tell us where it is?"

"Hells yeah!" Jack said. "And from what's goin' on, you need all the help you can get!"

"Wait, you're not saying that–?" Fayt was interrupted by an enthusiastic Jack

"You know it! I'm gettin' amped just thinkin' about it!"

"Are you serious?" Peppita asked.

"As Jack said, 'hells yeah'," Lude replied.

"But it's dangerous!" Ravage said. "There's a high probability of you guys getting killed!"

"So what?" Jack said. "You're facin' the same odds, too. The difference is, we know the place inside-out. How else could we be here for this long?"

"For once, Jack's using common sense to make good points besides on his school work," Cyrus said.

"I never thought I'd see the day," Lude said. "But he's right, nonetheless."

"Plus if you haven't forgotten, we're kick-ass fighters ourselves," Jack replied.

"And like you said Cyrus, we're the three musketeers– well shizznits at the time. If one of us go, all of us go."

"Do you think it's a good idea?" Fayt asked Cyrus.

Cyrus thought about it for a second. "Welcome to the club, home G's."

"Alright!" Jack shouted. "That's what I'm talkin' about! Love for yo' homies, OGC"

"We will not let you down," Lude said.

"So you were talking about knowing where Lystara's citadel was?" Rampage asked. "Show us."

"Anythin' for someone as hot as yourself," Jack said in a flirting voice. The group followed Jack and Lude as they went down the mountain trail and heading south to the citadel.

* * *

Author's Note 1: A powerful enemy will return to challenge the group. This time, however, he'll be bringing back reinforcements. Will the gang be able to triumph over this opponent and his army? Or will they fall at the hands of his superior numbers? Warning: Major Crossover Alert!

* * *

Part 21.2: Mechanical Militia

The team had left the mountain range and ended up on a barren wasteland. With the tall mountains out of the way, the sky was much more visible. There were many different colored stars that dotted the atmosphere of dark purple colors. They continued their trek until they were stopped by a large mass that appeared in front of them. "What the–?" Jack said.

"Was this here before?" Mirage asked.

"No," Lude replied. "The last time we were here, the area was devoid of any obstacles."

"Look closer, maggots," Albel snorted. "Those aren't just any obstacles."

The group looked closer at the so called "obstacles" to learn they weren't just any obstructions. "Holy shizznit!" Cyrus and Jack shouted in unison.

"Those things look like battle mechs," Roger said.

"Not just any mechs," Jack said. "Them be droids. And they're blocking the path"

"Droids?" Mirage asked.

"Yeah," Cyrus complied. "The skinny ones are your regular Battle Droids. They're armed with small arms to large rifles. The ones that look like Cliff are Super Battle Droids. Not only are they stronger, but they're more aggressive and they shoot from twin blasters on their arms."

"Hey!" retorted the male Klausian.

"Well you know it's true," Jack said. "There is a strong resemblance."

"And that's not all," Lude continue. "Those are the easy ones because the Battle Droids need to function by an operation post. The Supers are sluggish and can be easily taken out. The dangerous models are the insect-like Droidekas and the human-like IG-100 MagnaGuards. Droidekas, or Destroyers, are able to curl into strong wheels that allow for quick access to areas. Their arsenals are strong shield generators that make them almost impervious to laser fire, and twin blasters attached to each arm that allow for rapid shots. The IG-100 MagnaGuards are short-range melee fighters that wield electro-staffs with skill. Even if they're decapitated, the body will still attack the target thanks to a processor in the chest."

"Hold up," Jack said. "What are all these bots doin' here anyway?"

"I have no idea," Adray said.

"Look there!" a Battle Droid said.

"Targets in sight!" said a Super Battle Droid. "Commence with capture operation!"

"Roger, Roger!" the fleet of robots said.

"Well that answered our question," Ransack said.

"So what do we do now?" Peppita asked. "We're seriously outnumbered."

"We can't fight that many enemy units," Ravage said.

"We have to," Lude said. "If we're going to save your friends, we need to fight off this army."

"Alright, let's do it!" Jack said. Cyrus pulled out his light saber and Abysmal Offender while Jack wore black sunglasses and drew two large pistols. Cyrus turned his MP3 Player to "Children's Story" by Slick Rick as Lude pulled up his sleeves and the trio joined the group in battle. "Time to bust a cap on these droids wit' Mr. and Mrs. Pump!" Jack said before a loud laugh as he followed Cyrus, Ransack and Peppita. Jack shot at the up coming droids, penetrating through the armor with special energy bullets. He attacked with a powerful move known as Led Tornado. He jumped in the air and spun while shooting the units with his pistols. When he finished, the Jack was surrounded by malfunctioned droids that fell down after a second. He smiled before nearly missing a shot by a Super Battle Droid. He jumped back and while in the air, shot the massive robot square in the head. Cyrus was surrounded by two MagnaGuards. The one on his left spun its large staff while the one on the right tried to trip him with a sweep from his lance. Cyrus dodged the attack and went for a strike with the Abysmal Offender, but the enemy blocked and the other was ready to pummel Cyrus with an overhand hit. Thanks to the wavy blade, Cyrus pushed the Abysmal Offender forward by hooking the blocking MagnaGuard's staff with the bent part of the blade. Quickly ducking, the attacking MagnaGuard swiped at the other's head hard enough to decapitate it clean off. Cyrus flipped back a few feet and used Shadow Slash. Like a speeding comet, the dark shizznit was able to slice through the two enemies. Then he was receiving fire by a few Battle Droids from a distance. He blocked the laser shots with his light saber, bouncing them back at the robots. Peppita was surrounded by a mob of Battle Droids and Super Battle Droids. Before they could shoot, Peppita forced them back with Dream Hammer. A large mallet appeared in her hands and she smashed the mechanized soldiers with powerful swings of her weapon. Once it disappeared, there was nothing but a mess of smashed limbs, guns, and other assorted parts. She was then fired upon by a number of Droidekas. The Velbaysian cartwheeled and jumped as she dodged the shots. Luckily, she was able get close to the units and attack with her Faerie Friend. A large, bear-like stuffed animal popped up in front of Peppita. The droids were confused. Peppita attacked with punches and kicks that were mimicked by the beast. In the end, the Droidekas were destroyed. Ransack faced a group Super Battle Droids that were firing at her. She rushed to the troop of robots and attacked with Shredding Soiree. Ransack slashed through the squad viciously, slicing through the thick armor plating and ripping off the vital parts. As soon as she destroyed the foes, she was attacked by a towering MagnaGuard. As the robot struck with his staff, Ransack was blocking the weapon with her Tri-Edges. The Guard swung from the side but Ransack dodged. The automaton was about to jab, but Ransack grabbed the weapon and shoved the opponent back. She was ready to slash, but the upper body of the MagnaGuard turned 180 degrees and block. Ransack then used Torment Stream. She slashed at the IG 100 model at relentless speed until the staff broke. With a quick downward slash, the robot was finished off and the battle was over as everyone else had also defeated the robot army.

"Well," Peppita said. "That wasn't so hard."

"Of course not," Cyrus said sarcastically. "We only destroyed a fleet of robots."

"That was hella fun!" Jack yelled enthusiastically. "I was all like 'you want some, bitch' and then the Battle Droid was all 'bring it on' and then I was surrounded by a whole bunch of 'em. That's when I started usin' my heat, right. Then they be all like shootin' at me, but then I be all like 'oh no you isn't'. Then I be like spinnin' all over the place while gattin' them, right. Next you know, they be all like 'Ahhhhh' and 'oooohhhhh' and then 'bleep bleep bang'! Then I land on my feet be all like 'man that was too easy'." Jack said as he brushed his shoulders. Half of the group were trying to piece together all that Jack was saying. The other half still couldn't believe that he was a genius, including Lude.

"Yeah..." Rampage said. "I'm sure you were... Whatever the hell you just said..."

"What did he say?" Sophia whispered to Cyrus.

"He does this every time he faces large numbers. It's nothin' really."

"But I wonder..." Lude said.

"What's wrong, Lude?" Ravage asked.

"Well, it's a little suspicious. Those droids said they were here to capture us. And you don't really see MagnaGuards on that many battlefields."

"Yeah..." Jack said. "Only one guy can has that type of bot..."

"Grievous..." Cyrus said.

"You mean General Grievous?" Fayt asked.

"How do you know?" Jack questioned.

"Because we faced him before on Elicoor II."

"He was really strong," Adray said. "It took all of us to take him down."

"I thought we saw the last of him," Cyrus said.

"I guess you thought wrong, worm," Albel said. "How about we pay him a little visit."

"And how do we do that?" Jack asked. "We don't even know where he is."

"I think I know," Peppita said standing on a hill. She appeared to be focused on something in another direction.

"What do you mean?" Fayt asked.

Peppita giggled. "Just look that way," she said as she pointed ahead of her. The group turned their attention to the given direction and saw a large ship docked on the ground.

"Nice work, Pep," Cyrus said.

"Is that a flagship?" Cliff asked.

"It's a Trade Federation Cruiser," Lude said.

"And not just any cruiser," Jack said. "That's Grievous'."

"The Invisible Hand," Cyrus said. "It has to be."

"Alright," Fayt said. "Let's go and stop Grievous." The group nodded and ran to the ship. The entrance was blocked by a Droideka and two MagnaGuards, but they were no match against the group.

"Okay, we're in," Jack said. "Now all we need to do is go through the hall, ride up an elevator, through another hall, and we'll be at the control room."

"Oh yeah," Sophia said. "That's sounds real simple."

"How do you guys know this stuff anyway?" Cliff asked.

"Um... Shizznit intuition?" Cyrus said.

"Yeah..." Lude replied. "We just have a... knack for this stuff."

"It doesn't matter about how they know," Mirage said. "What matters is if they know what they're doing."

"Yeah, but still..." Cliff said.

"Don't worry, dog," Jack replied with a smile. "We know exactly what we're doing." Jack then turned to Cyrus and Lude with a straight face and said, "I have no idea what we're doing..."

"What do you mean?" Lude replied worryingly.

"I mean I have no idea where the elevator is."

"Crap..." Cyrus said. "Wait, I remember. There's an elevator in the hangar bay. If we could get to the other side of the ship, we might be able to get to Dooku's chamber."

"Why would we want to go to Dooku's pad?"

"Because that room is the ship's radio communications tower," Lude said. "If we're going to find the deck, we need to take the highest ground possible. Plus, if it's able to spread propaganda up there, then it's bound to have a map."

"Well in that case, why not?"

Suddenly, loud mechanical movement was heard. "What was that?" Adray asked. "Are more of those mech soldiers coming?"

"No, the door–!" Rampage said. Before anyone could turn around, the ramp closed. As bad as that was, the group could feel the tremors intensifying before they stopped as mysteriously as they started.

"What the hell was that?" Albel hissed.

"It looks like the ship is now airborne," Ravage said.

"This stinks," Roger said. "Do you think they know we're on board?"

"I don't know," Cyrus said. "But I ain't stayin' here to find out."

"This is so kick-ass!" Jack said. "I'm actually flyin' in the Invisible Hand!"

"This is not 'kick-ass'!" Lude replied. "If anything, this is very non-kick-ass!"

"Where do we go first?" Fayt asked.

Lude sighed. "There's been a change in plans. We'll go to the radio tower. Up there, we should be able to get to the deck."

"Let's go," Cyrus said. The band ran through the halls and passageways as they infiltrated the invisible hand. As they raced through the floor, they faced countless droids and security devices that was in their way. In about an hour, they arrived at the enormous shuttle bay that was filled with all kinds of ships and ground vehicles. All Cyrus could say was a lengthened, "Crap..."

"Isn't this something," Cliff said. "Do all of these belong to the droids?"

"Yep," Lude said.

"From AATs to MMTs," Jack said. "From Spiders to Hailfires. From Starfighters to Strikebombers, they got 'em all. Especially that elevator over there."

"Where?" Roger asked. Jack pointed to the wall on the far right. There was an elevator on the far right wall. Unfortunately, two Super Battle Droids were guarding it. They moved close to the right corner behind concealed boxes.

"Damn Supers!" Jack hissed as he clenched his fist that shook violently.

"What's the big deal, maggots?" Albel asked. "Let's just go over there and turn them into slag."

"Because this floor is filled with droids all over the place," Cyrus said. "If we start screwin' around like that, the security alarms will start blaring. But you're right. We need to get to that elevator."

"We need a distraction," Mirage said.

"But how?" Roger said. "What are we going to use for something like that?" The group turned to Roger and smiled. Roger smiled back nervously.

"I'm sure we can figure something out," Ransack said smoothly.

More shivers were sent down the little Menodix's spine. "I'm not going to like this." After a few minutes of "planning", the group was able to subdue Roger on tie him to a metal pole. "Man, why am I always the diversion?" shouted Roger.

"Easy," Albel sneered. "Because you're the annoying mutant that doesn't shut up."

"Than why don't we tie you to the pole?"

"Because he's too big and heavy," Mirage said.

"Watch it, wench."

"So, you said you can really copy voices, Ravage?" Fayt asked.

"Yes I can. I received first prize for vocal mimicry at the university."

"How come you never told us that?" Rampage questioned.

"You never asked."

"Alright," Lude said. "Roger has 'modestly' participated in being the lure for Jack to wave. Ravage will imitate a plea of a battle droid to bring the Super's to investigate. Once they arrive, Albel and Cyrus will hop them–"

"Jump 'em," Cyrus corrected.

"Right, jump them. Once that's accomplished, Peppita will make her way to the elevator's controls and press the button. Once she give us the signal, then we'll be off this floor and in the communication's room."

"Are you sure this will work?" Fayt asked.

"Fayt, Lude's plans never fail," Cyrus said.

"Ravage, if you may," Lude said.

"Gladly." She inhaled and exhaled and tested her voice. On the fourth try, she sounded like a droid perfectly. "Come back here organic." The guard droids' attention turned to a plate that was wheeled from the boxes.

After the plate fell flat on the ground, Roger was waved up and down by Jack. "Get me off this thing!" Roger said in fear.

"Hey you!" one of the droids said. When the Super Battle Droids were in range, Jack raised the Menodix up. The robot guards were then pulled over by Cyrus and Albel and destroyed. Peppita hurried to the elevator and hit the button with her cape. She quickly retreated to a nearby chest and waited for the elevator door to open while surveying the area. Once it did, the Velbaysian saw that none of the droids in the nearby area were paying any attention. She spun her cape around as the signal and the other thirteen members hurried to the elevator with Roger still carried like a shish kebob by Jack. However, Roger was too high and bumped his head on the wall. Jack saw his mistake and lowered the Menodix down and untied him in the chamber, to discover that he was dazed.

"That was fun," Peppita said.

"Alright then," Cyrus said. "Going up." Cyrus pressed the button to the top floor, where Dooku's lair was. It was a long transport and the room was quiet. Jack broke the silence by whistling the first notes of the Law & Order theme. Cyrus snapped his fingers to the beat and Lude joined in with his harmonica. Roger also participated as he sat down and drummed on his hat. Everyone liked the rhythm of the music, except for Albel who stood against the corner in a stoic fashion. When the elevator reached its destination, the group walked out and the door closed behind them.

They carefully walked to the middle of the room and were quite fascinated. "For an enemy base of operations, this room shows some hospitality," Cliff said.

"Yeah," Rampage said. "Nice view, great places to crash, a young woman tied to the ceiling by a long rope..." The group saw, a body dangling from the ceiling by an electric rope. Fayt cut the wrapped body from the dangling end of the rope. Once on a floor covered in pillows, Cyrus sliced the woman out of the binding cord. Her skin was a tanned green with small dotted marking across her face. She wore a dark cloak and a long sleeved robe. When she opened her blue eyes, the first thing she saw was the red lightsaber of the dark shizznit. Without warning, the woman raised an open hand and threw Cyrus on the other side of the room. He quickly opened his wings and landed safely to the ground. The group was shocked.

"Man, what was that for?" Cyrus yelled.

"I could ask you the same thing, Sith," the woman said.

"Sith?" Fayt asked. "What's that?"

"Um... What's going on?" Sophia asked. "Who is she?"

"She's a Jedi," Jack said. "She must be thinkin' Cyrus and Fayt are Sith members."

"What the hell is a Sith, maggot?" Albel asked. "And explain this Jedi stuff."

"A Jedi is a warrior that wields an energy weapon called a light saber, the same type of weapon that Cyrus uses," Lude explained. "A Sith is the same thing, but different. While Jedi are a peaceful group that believe in coexistence, the Sith are conquerors that use tyrannical influence in forceful ways of persuasion. The other thing that ties both Jedi and Sith together is a power known as the Force."

"The Force?" Cliff asked. "You mean that thing she just did?"

"Exactly. The Force is a psychic ability that many Jedi and Sith have. It is also the energy that all living things in her dimension are made of. In combat Jedi normally use the force to weaken their opponents. Sith, however, use its power to kill an enemy."

"So how come she's attacking Cyrus?" Adray asked. "If what you say is true, shouldn't they be in no danger?"

Lude nodded his head. "Unfortunately, this Jedi is confusing them over a case of mistaken identity. While Jedi lightsabers are blue or green, blue for training Jedi called Padawan and green for Master, a lightsaber from a Sith is red. Also, Jedi tend to amputate their opponent's weapon wielding hand as a sign of honor and respect for life. Sith, on the other hand, are not too shy about murdering the opposition by slicing away at their torso or killing through decapitation."

"So this isn't looking good," Mirage said.

"There is a mistake," Fayt said to the Jedi. "Cyrus and I rescued you. We're not here to hurt you."

"He's right," Cyrus said.

"Oh really?" The Jedi woman said. "Then explain why you called in your droids?"

Cyrus and Fayt, along with the rest of the group, turned their attention to the entrance where the a pack of nineteen Super Battle Droids entered the scene. "Those aren't ours."

"Not even close," Fayt said.

"Damn!" Cliff said before punching his palm.

"It looks like we're caught," Roger said.

"Finally, some action,"Albel said. "Let's see if you weaklings are worth my while."

"Say hello to my little friends, bitches!" Jack shouted at the droids.

"Intruder alert!" said a Super Battle Droid.

"Destroy the Jedi and the other trespassers," said a second.

"Roger, Roger!" complied another.

"So you think you dropped the ball on us?" Cyrus said. "Think again!" Cyrus turned his MP3 Player to "Bat Country" by Avenged Sevenfold. He teamed up with the Jedi Knight against eight Super Battle Droids while everyone else was occupied by the other robots. The enemies launched a barrage of laser fire at the two warriors, but the rounds were blocked by the blue and red lightsabers. The two threw their lightsabers at the foes behind them, slicing the enemy units. Before the weapons returned, Cyrus spun his Abysmal Offender, ricocheting the lasers back at the droids. While the lasers were shot, the Jedi used her Force ability and threw the Supers on the right and left flanks back. More droids entered the room and set their sites on the Jedi and the shizznit. Both combatants ran in different directions of the room. Cyrus swung his lightsaber as he made his way through the wall of enemies as did his ally. When he reached the other side, the droids fell apart. Cyrus then flew up to the ceiling where he met back with the Padawan. Below them the droid soldiers were firing at the two. As the warriors blocked, the Jedi once again used the Force and clearing a space to land. The last batch of droids were destroyed by a certain swordsman's Splicer's Twist. The fight was over. Feeling fatigue, the Jedi woman knelt down. "Is something wrong?"

"It's just... those cables took a lot out of me. I have nothing to recover myself with."

"Hold on." Cyrus used his Healing spell on the warn out warrior.

The symbological skill helped Barriss regain her strength. "What was that? I feel... rejuvenated. But how...?"

"It's called Symbology."

"Symbology...? Never heard of such an art."

"Cyrus!" Sophia called. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm cool. I must say, whoever this is, she can sure fight."

"My name is Barriss Offee, Jedi Knight and healer of Mirial. I apologize for my hasty actions."

Albel huffed. "Whatever worm," he said. Barriss looked at the Glyphian in confusion.

"Is something wrong?"

"Don't mind Albel," Mirage said. "He's always like that."

"Yeah..." Cliff muttered. "A complete ass..." Albel glared at the Klausian and was about to retaliate. That was before Mirage held him back.

"I must say, you are a strange group," Barriss replied. "You fight with such primitive weapons. Your clothes are... unique." She turned to Cyrus. "Though you are different. I have never seen any humanoid with wings. You also look like a Sith, or at least a Dark Jedi, yet I do not sense the presence of the Dark Side. Then again, I cannot sense the Force from any of you. Why is that?"

"It's kinda hard to explain," Fayt said.

"What do you mean?" Roger asked. "What's so hard about saying that we came from another–?" Before Roger could finish, Peppita hit Roger upside the head with her cape.

"Part of the galaxy!" Lude said. "Yeah, we're from a different world located in an uncharted and desolate region of space which is devoid of the Force."

"Is that a fact..." Barriss said. "Again, thank you for rescuing me," she said with a bow.

"Our pleasure," Cliff said.

"So tell us," Ravage said. "Why are you imprisoned here?"

"Well, I was sent on a scouting mission to Mygeeto due to reported sightings of General Grievous. When I arrived, I was accompanied by a squad of Clone Troopers. As the clones engaged the droids in combat, I snuck into the Invisible Hand. When I was on deck, I tried to extract the information from the ship's computer. Unfortunately, I was caught by Grievous. I tried to fight him, but he was highly skilled and there was something different about him. I don't know what it is, but he was stronger than any Jedi I know."

"Don't worry, Barriss," Fayt said. "We'll help you stop Grievous."

"Thank you."

"Do you know how we could get to the Bridge?" Ransack asked.

"I have no idea. I was unconscious when they imprisoned me here."

"Alright, back to plan A," Jack said.

"What do you mean?" Peppita asked. "Wasn't this Plan A?"

"No, that was Plan B," Cliff said. "Plan A was finding the map and getting the hell out of here, right?"

"Straight-diggy," Jack said.

"But wouldn't that be Plan B because we just asked Barriss?" Cyrus asked.

"No because we came here for the map first," Sophia said. "We had no idea Barriss was stuck here."

"But still, this should be Plan A," Barriss said. "I mean it wouldn't make any sense you looked for the map, and then asked me."

"She makes an interesting argument," Lude declared in agreement.

"Forget that, maggots!" Albel screamed. Everyone turned to the frustrated swordsman. "Who cares what plan's what, let's just find the map!"

"Sheesh," Jack exasperated. "Two words, homie. Anger Management." The group searched high and low in the room. The room was bigger than they realized. They looked high, and low (twenty feet high in Cyrus' case), but they found nothing. While they searched, one unarmed droid that survived the chaos was sneaking away. Before it could take another step, a blue lightsaber flew at the robot, decapitating it, and flew back to Barriss' hand.

Roger moved closer to the sizzled remains of the robot. In its hand was a small device. He picked it up and looked at it. "I wonder what this is?" Roger asked as he gave it to Barriss.

Barriss took the item from the Menodix and scanned it with her blue eyes. "This appears to be the ship's holomap," she said. Barriss pressed the buttons from the pad and a hologram of the Invisible Hand's blueprint floated over it. "Okay, we're right here in the communications tower," she said to the group. "The bridge is four levels below our current position."

"There's no doubt that deck will be filled with droids," Mirage said.

"Of course not, fool," Albel sneered. "But don't worry, I'll make sure they don't kill you right away."

"I'll hold you up to that."

"I'm sure you will, maggot."

"What do you suppose Grievous was doing?" Fayt asked Barriss.

"Perhaps there was a deal happening on Mygeeto. Some of the companies have been known to deal with the CIS. I believe it to be something else."

"We shall see," Cyrus said. With the Mirialan Jedi Knight, Barriss Offee, joining their party, the team of fifteen took the elevator four flights down to the passageway. To pass the time, Jack and Cyrus were rapping to "Rockin' the Mic" by Richard Jacques.

The Mirialan was confused by what they were doing. "What are those two doing?"

"They're rapping," Lude said.

"I still don't get why they like this music," Cliff said.

"Tis a shizznit thing. Thy ears hath no boundaries when of 'da hood'." Everyone gave Lude a strange look. "And that's archaic English gone horribly wrong."

"So tell me," Barriss said. "Where are we? Why did you come on this ship?"

"You're not going to believe it, but we're in a different dimension," Sophia said.

"Do you mean that?"

"That's right," Peppita said. "We're here because someone kidnaped our friends. Now we're trying to save them."

"And also because someone is threatening a vast number of worlds," Lude said. "If we don't take action soon, everything and everyone will cease to exist."

Barriss was silent for a second. "Well, this is unbelievable. Not even Master Luminara would believe this."

"Who?" Adray asked.

"My teacher at the Jedi Academy of Coruscant who is from Mirial. She taught me everything I know about the Force and lightsaber combat for as long as I can remember. And even though I'm a knight, that doesn't mean there are things I don't understand. Living without the Force. Crossing to other dimensions. I don't think an event like this could be possible."

"Barriss," Cyrus said. "There's a little tip that was told from my teacher, Master Diogo. It's not what you learn from the teachings of others, the true lessons lie in life itself. That means that there are many things that one believes is unobtainable, but it is what a person has experienced that shapes there own views about such truths. That's somethin' you can't learn at school."

"Your teacher must be wise."

"Yep. And I have a feeling your Master Luminara is also wise and powerful." The group reached their designated floor. When the door opened to the new passageway, there was a number of droids that guarded it. Everyone was still and silent when they saw the slew of Droidekas, Battle Droids, and Super Battle Droids. All except for Jack who wasn't paying attention and still rapping. "Cracker Jack!" Cyrus shouted dryly as soon as he hit his friend.

"What did I do, playa?" Jack yelped. Cyrus pointed to the droids with his hat before putting it back on and his hood. "Oh... Damn!"

"I guess it's time to clear a way through these scum," Albel said as he pulled out his Crimson Scourge.

"Let's do it," Cyrus said as he pulled out both weapons. Lude, Albel, Mirage, and Ravage led the group to battle. Lude and Mirage were delivering powerful kicks and punches to the enemy units. Each blow was so strong, they broke through the armor plating of the Supers, and destroying the cables and wires. Four more Battle Droids came at the young martial artist, but they to were beaten by Lude's attack; Fatal Footwork. He balanced on his left leg and a rally of fast kicks were shot at the droids. Then he alternated his feet and sent a flurry of powerful kicks with his right leg, sending more droids to their demise. Mirage was also being approached by the enemy automatons, but were finished rather quickly by the Klausian's Acrobat Locus. She punched a few of the enemies into the air and kicked rapid with powerful waves. Then she landed hard on the floor and a strong wave of energy destroyed the last of her opponents. Albel was able to cut through the swarm with a strong Air Slash. The shockwave cleared a path through the hall. Then he used Dragon Roar. Six dragon head appeared in front of the Glyphian and destroyed the droids that were in the way. A group of Supers and Battle Droids were beginning to surround him, but they were thrown back and dismantled by a powerful Shockwave Swirl. Ravage was hacking and slashing her way through the mob of enemies. She shredded through the plating like a knife on butter. She destroyed the last remaining soldiers with her Zapmaster's Strike.

"That was enthralling entertainment," Lude replied.

"Okay," Barriss said. "General Grievous should be at the end of the hall. Straight ahead of us there will be a door that leads to the bridge." The group nodded and they went down the hall. There were no other enemies in the vicinity, which was strange to Cyrus. The team stepped into the room, which was filled with droids. Upon entry, the guns of the enemy units were readied.

"This really sucks right here," Jack said.

"Tell me about it," Lude complied in agreement.

"So, I see you have been freed, Jedi scum," a deep voice said. "Fayt and Cyrus, is it? We meet again."

"Show yourself, GG," Cyrus hissed.

"As you wish," the villain's voice said. He arose from his large swivel chair in the center of the room and approached the group. Barriss was right about before when she said the general was different. He was large than before which was because he wasn't suffering from his injury. His armor plating was all black. The lines on his skull mask were white. His yellow eyes were now blood red, darker than both Cyrus' and Albel's. His cloak too was also black. On his arms and legs, Grievous was covered with strange markings. In front of him were two MagnaGuards that were ready to protect the commander.

"Now that's what I call an extreme make over," Lude said.

"It looks like GG embraced his blackness," Jack added.

"So this is the cyborg you guys were talking about?" Mirage asked Cyrus.

"That's right. That be Grievous of Kalee."

"He doesn't look so tough," Albel said.

"It would be wise for you to hold your tongue," Grievous warned the Glyphian.

"I don't take orders from maggots like you. I will destroy you and these walking scrapheaps."

"You are nothing more than scum that I can crush without even trying."

"That's what you think, fool."

"Surrender, Grievous," Barriss said. "It's over!" A sinister chuckle was heard from the ten foot tall commander. "What's so funny, Grievous?"

"You really think you've won?" the general asked. "Pathetic! I have been watching you this entire time. The only reason I spared you up until now Jedi scum, was so I could kill you with these pests."

"I guess you're still sour about the last time," Cliff said.

"Wait... How did you get here?" Fayt asked. "And why do you look differently?"

"You can thank Catalysta," Grievous answered. "She gave me one more chance to finally bury your worthless corpses. Not only did she allow me to use the Invisible hand, but she also offered a few... modifications. Now that you have arrive, I can be rid of you all at the same time."

"Not at the least," Barriss said. In no time at all, Barriss and Cyrus activated their lightsabers and started slicing the droids. The MagnaGuards went into the defensive, but had to contend with Cliff, Mirage, and Lude.

Jack was laughing like a nutcase as he shot his pistols at the enemies. "This is the best field trip I've had in a while!" he replied in glee with a wide smile to match.

Once the battle was over, the floor was covered in oil and droid parts. However, the general was no where in sight. "Where did Grievous crawl off to?" Adray asked. Before anyone knew, a stream of electricity was aimed at one of the windows and popped it.

"That was a Lightning Blast!" Sophia screamed.

"But from what?" Lude said.

Running along the ceiling above them was Grievous who made a dash toward the window.

"Why does he always pick the window?" Cyrus asked himself before approaching the new exit with his wings out.

"Hey!" Barriss exclaimed. "I'm coming too!"

"Wait up!" Fayt said as he pulled out his Divine Avenger. Outside the window, Grievous used his grappling hook that swung him on the roof. Cyrus wasn't too far behind with Fayt grabbing his arms followed by Barriss who used her grappling hook. Sophia ran to the window too, but it was closed by a steel wall. The three met up with Grievous topside. Even though they were in the sky, they felt no gusts, much less a breeze. "You're trapped Grievous!"

"No where to run, no where to hide, GG," Cyrus replied.

"Give yourself up, General," Barriss ordered. "You loose."

"Ha! I'm not finished with you yet, scum!" said a confident Grievous. "But when I am, I will not only reclaim that lightsaber or take away your's Barriss, but I shall be sure to collect those swords as my trophies."

"You can try." General Grievous pushed away his black cape and grabbed four lightsabers, two in each hand. His arms split into four independent limbs and he activated the weapons. For a few minutes, there was a standoff. During that time, Cyrus slowly turned his MP3 Player to "Crazy Robo... Theme of E-101r" from Sonic Adventure. The battle was started when the trio charged at Grievous. Cyrus was in the center keeping the bottom two busy, Barriss was working on the right against his left hand and Fayt was parrying on the left against his right hand. The group slashed and stabbed the cyborg with powerful blows, but the attacks were being countered time and time again. It was clear to Cyrus and Fayt that the cyborg was stronger than the last time they dueled. The three were forced back when Grievous swung his spinning lightsabers while he walked back a few feet. He stopped spinning the bottom pair as he charged up a symbological attack. Barriss rushed in and ready to strike. Just before she could land a hit, General Grievous shocked her with Lightning Blast. Barriss didn't believe it and neither could the other two. "What?" Barriss said in surprise. "How are you able to use the force?"

"I'm not. This is the same power that those two fools over wield."

"Damn..." Fayt said.

"So you wanna play like that?" Cyrus asked. "I'll play with you."

The General gave a low chuckle before he charged at Cyrus. Cyrus sidestepped and slashed the hybrid droid. Grievous then tried to slice at Cyrus with his top pair of arms, but the shizznit backed away just before Barriss hit Grievous with the Force. Fayt, with his Divine Blade activated, engaged Grievous with strong blows. However, he was pushed back by a powerful slash from Grievous. Barriss kept the general busy with parried blows and powerful strikes. She landed a few hits, especially with her use of the Force, but the general was vigilant and most of the attacks were either guarded or missed the target. Fayt was able to inflict damage on Grievous with Dimensional Door. Before the general could block, Fayt had already slashed at the enemy's mid-section. After gathering his dark energy, Cyrus added more injury with a high-powered Shadow Slash. The three surrounded General Grievous and were ready to attack at the same time, The general tossed the top pair of lightsabers and made a handstand. As soon as his legs were off the ground, he caught the weapons with his clawed feet and spun. The trio were pushed away by the attack and damaged by the spinning sabers. When the team recovered, they saw the general still on his hands and ready to attack. He scurried over to Cyrus and struck with the weapons. Cyrus blocked and slashed at the cyborg. Barriss attacked with the force, but General Grievous was able to evade the attack and only crushed the ground where he was. He landed back on his feet and jumped back up. He activated the thrusters on his back and hovered in the air while charging up a symbological attack. Out of their reach at the moment, General Grievous aimed his Laser Beams at Cyrus. Before he could take flight, the attack was already cast and the shizznit was being electrocuted by the strikes. Seeing his weakened target Grievous was ready to swoop in and deliver the final blow. That was until Fayt and Barriss blocked the attack. With their strength, the two were able to shove the cyborg away while Cyrus revitalized his strength with his Healing technique. He joined up with the two once more, slashing and stabbing at the foe. Cyrus brought the airborne foe down with his Water Cyclone Flash. With each hit from his waterspout, the general's thrusters were short-circuiting. He dropped from the air and landed hard on his feet. Fayt was suspended in the air, storing energy for his next attack. The cyborg saw him in this vulnerable position and was ready to attack. He leapt up in the air, ready to strike Fayt down with the lightsaber in his upper-right arm, but Barriss threw him back with the Force. He crashed onto the roof hard. As soon as he looked up, Fayt had sprouted his wings. As a safety precaution, Cyrus flew up in the air with Barriss grabbing on his wrists. When General Grievous rose, Fayt launched his Ethereal Blast. The beam of divine energy shot at the commander. The top of the ship was covered in a powerful wave that made both Cyrus and Barriss stare in awe. When the attack was over, the Grievous stood still for a few seconds before collapsing on the roof. He was reverting back to his original form once he hit the surface and he slowly faded away. "Nice job," Barriss said. "Our work here is done. Let's go back inside and leave this ship." Cyrus and Fayt nodded and followed Barriss back to the deck.

"Fayt!" Sophia squealed in as she rushed over and embraced him.

"Don't worry Sophia," Fayt reassured. "Everything's okay now."

"What was goin' on up there?" Jack asked in an eager voice.

"It be some crazy business I'll never forget," Cyrus answered.

"Where's Grievous?" Ransack asked.

"He disappeared as soon as we finished him off," Fayt said. "I think he's returned to his dimension."

"Barriss, you said you knew a way off the ship?" Cyrus asked.

"That's right." Barriss pulled out the holomap and pressed its buttons. "The escape pods are on the bottom deck."

"Then what are we waiting for, maggots?" Albel hissed. "Let's get off this trash heap." The team left the bridge and traveled to the lower deck. They faced the enemy droids that were in their way, but they robots were of little challenge. They reached the escape pod hangar containing six vessels. Fayt, Sophia, and Cliff took the first. The second was occupied by Peppita, Roger, and Rampage. The third was used by Ransack, Adray, and Jack. The fourth carried Lude and Ravage. The fifth was taken by Albel and Mirage. The last pod was ridden by Barriss and Cyrus. After a few pressed buttons, all of the escape pods were launched and flew to the ground below.

Inside was a small window and the seat surrounded the wall. While Barriss was sitting firmly on the seat, Cyrus sat with his legs up on the chair and staring out the window while listening to "Lousy Reputation" by We Are Scientists. "You're worried about your friends, are you?" Barriss asked with a concerned look.

Cyrus nodded in compliance. "Of course," Cyrus said. "Nel and Maria helped us out of many scrapes. They're also valuable assets to our team. Without them, we wouldn't have gotten this far."

"Such loyalty is rare to find where I'm from. Ever since the war started, former ally planets and species have been destroying and conquering each other. Day after day, more people have been dying. Though I am a healer, I cannot ease the pain."

"I know what you're saying. Not only did I live in a time of war from my original world, but I also fought in one in another dimension. I still do not know why anyone starts war or takes praise for its mass murder. A true warrior fights for self-defense, the innocent, their beliefs and the people they care about. But one who kills for bigoted reasons or simple fame and glory are disgusting, dishonorable, and cowardly."

"Such as the Sith..." The two allies were silent for a few minutes. "I misjudged you before and I once again apologize. I am also indebted to you and your comrades for rescuing me. I will make it up by helping you on your journey."

"Huh?"

"Cyrus, you said that you are fighting to save your comrades and other worlds, correct?"

"That's right."

"You said it yourself 'a true warrior fights for the people they care about'. As a Jedi Knight, my duty is to help those in need of assistance. And since I'm here, I guess I can be of assistance."

"It would be a pleasure, Barriss."

"The pleasure is all mine." The Mirialan and the shizznit were silent as they smiled at one another. In about a few minutes, the escape pods had landed safely on the ground. The doors opened and the group reunited.

"Well, that was some detour," Adray said. "Is everyone here?"

"Present and accounted for," Jack said.

"But does any of us know where we are?" Peppita asked.

"I have a good idea that our path is well on its course," Cyrus said.

"What makes you say that?" Fayt asked.

"Come take a look for yourself." The group stood beside Cyrus and saw a large citadel at the foot of the hill. It looked like a large metropolis, almost the size of New York. Covering the top of the citadel was a see through glass barrier.

"It's so... beautiful," Sophia said in awe. "Is this really the center of the multiverse?"

"That's right," Lude said. "There is a large edifice at the center of this municipality."

"Man, Lude, speak words," Jack replied

"That's what I tell Ravage all the time," Rampage sneered with folded arms.

"True genius is always ignored," Ravage said.

"There's a big building in the middle of the city," Lude clarified.

"I sense a mass of energy," Barriss said. "It must be coming from this city."

"I could feel it, too," Cyrus said. "It must be Yggdrasil."

"It must be in the building," Fayt said.

"Then we have no time to loose," Ransack said.

"Let's do it," Cliff said. The group went down the hill and headed to the citadel. It was only a matter of time before the team could free Maria and Nel and defeat the terror of time and space: Lystara Catalysta.

* * *

Author's Note 2: The climatic end. Cyrus and the others are now at the multiverse's citadel. Will the gang rescue Maria and Nel? Can they stop Lystara's plans for dimension domination? Read and find out!

* * *

Part 21.3: The Showstopper

The inside of the citadel was more beautiful than it was outside. The streets were clean and were paved in brick. The buildings were also clean and painted white. It was truly a sight to behold. However, what there was one thing that everyone wondered... "Where is everybody?" Barriss asked. "You would think that a place this big would be filled with people."

"Was it like this before?" Cyrus asked.

"Ever since Lude and I first here," Jack said. "Seems all the folks wigged out."

"There may be a possibility that there was no one here," Ravage said.

"What makes you say that?" Sophia asked.

"Look around you. This place has been empty for years. Perhaps the buildings created here are embodiments of other worlds."

"If that's true, then this universe is a third level realm," Lude said. "That is an interpretation of Hugh Everett III's many-worlds interpretation."

"I've heard of that," Fayt said. "Isn't that an extension of Quantum mechanics that recognizes the existence of multiple universes?"

"Correct."

"I don't understand," Peppita said. "What does that mean?"

"That means this universe shows similar features of different worlds but gathered into one, which would also created a certain 'bridge' effect that links these areas of information," Cyrus said. A few members of the group gave blank stares toward the shizznit. "My uncle was a professor from Sac State who taught me quantum physics and theories."

"I'm sure he was, maggot," Albel sneered.

"So Lude, are we almost there?" Ravage asked.

"Our destination is just within our grasp," Lude said as he pointed to a large building in the distance.

"Let's see what it says here in the brochure..." Sophia said.

"Where did you get that?" Barriss asked.

"Oh... over there in that pamphlet holder." Everyone turned and looked behind to see a shelf with brochures.

"Go figure..." Cliff said.

"Anyways, what does it say?" Mirage asked.

"Well according to the map, the building at the center of town is called the Tower of Being. It says that all souls and dimensions start here from the roots and branches of the legendary tree, Yggdrasil."

"So that's where we'll find Maria and Nel," Cyrus said.

"And Lystara as well," Ransack replied dryly.

"Let's be on our guard," Ravage advised. "There's no telling what she'll do." The group nodded and continued their trek through the city streets. As they pressed on, there was still no sign of habitation. As beautiful as their surroundings, Cyrus, along with the rest of the gang, was distraught for his two comrades, and felt a sense of unease seeing that they were in Lystara's playing field.

After an hour of silence, their journey ended when they reached a sign saying "Welcome to the Tower of Being." The group were at awe. It was more like a giant obelisk with windows and a large door than a building. In front of the gate, the bodies of Maria and Nel bonded to large plates. Their arms were spread apart and their legs were tied closely together. Both warriors heads were drooped. In short, they were lifeless vessels. Standing on the ground taking her position in between the two hostages was Lystara. Her angel wings were spread out and the tails of her white trench coat were swaying back by a sudden gale. She had her trademark smug smile as she eyed the group. "Welcome, my opposition," she said. "I'm glad you have arrived. I hope General Grievous didn't give you too much hell."

"Nel! Maria!" Cyrus shouted.

Nel inched her head up and steadily opened her eyes half way. "C-Cyrus..." she said weakly.

"Is... Is it you...?" Maria asked weakly.

Fayt scowled at Lystara with a strong grip on his sword. "Damn you!" the swordsman shouted.

"Why such morose? Just because I threaten your existence, clone your teammate, use powerful enemies from other dimensions, critically wounded a dojo instructor, and abducted your party members doesn't mean you should act like such."

"What you are doing is inexcusable!" Fayt hissed. "You're ruining the lives of an infinite number of people and destroying countless homes! And for what? You make it sound like this is a game!"

"Oh, not at all. Don't you see that what I am doing is for the greater good? My mission is noble. Honestly, I am making the lives of everyone better by cleansing existence of all its... inconsistencies."

"You're not 'helping'," spoke Ransack. "The chaos you created must end!"

"We will not allow you to get away with such crimes," Barriss said.

"The Jedi's threatening me, what should I do," Lystara said sarcastically before cackling loudly at Barriss' statement. Barriss turned on her blue lightsaber. "Right now, I'm not the ones you should be worried about. It's them!" she said pointing to Maria and Nel. "Don't believe me? Here's the proof!" Lystara turned toward the vulnerable and raised her hands. In a short matter of time, a strange aura engulfed them and their shadows ran became long tapering trails ahead of them. Two forms were emerging from both victim's shadows and shaped into identical clones that were tweaked a bit. Maria's copy had long purple hair and a skirt that was white on top and black on the bottom half, appearing like her 4P costume. Nel's duplicate had more in common with the original except her body armor was a rusty brown and black and her hair was pale white, similar to her 3P costume. "I wonder, didn't we go through this kind of thing before?" sneered Lystara. Cyrus gritted his teeth and pulled out the Abysmal Offender. "Of course. How could I forget my dear Stratus. He was one of the best pawns I've had for a while."

"You bitch..." Ransack said with a sharp tongue.

"No time for formalities, I'm afraid. It appears my schedule is quite tight. I must be off. So long my pets." Before she left, Lystara turned her head and said, "One more thing. My clones are using the life force of your comrades. Every second that goes by, your friends become weaker and weaker while my darlings grow stronger. I would get cracking."

"Damn you..." before Cyrus could get close to Lystara, his path was blocked by the Nel replicate's blades. With a low snicker, Lystara headed into the building, leaving the group to contend with the replicates of their former comrades. _"Forget it,"_ he thought to himself. _"Right now, I need to focus on these two. The more time I waste, the more energy is drained from them!" _Cyrus put away his lightsaber and took out the Abysmal Offender.

"Let's do it," Lude said as he pulled up his sleeves.

"We'll get 'em out of this," Adray replied with her wand already drawn.

"Don't worry you two," Cyrus said to Nel and Maria. "Just hang on a little longer." Cyrus turned his MP3 Player to "I Never Told You" by My Chemical Romance and charged into battle with Adray and Lude not too far behind. The clones of Nel and Maria charged at them. Cyrus swung at the imitation Nel, but the clone crouched down and held her blades above her head. She then pushed him forward and tried to deliver a quick slash. Cyrus saw the attack coming and blocked the strike with his sword and pushed her away with his foot. He tried for a cross chop, but the clone jumped up and was ready to slam into him. Before Cyrus could guard, the attack had already struck and inflicted a considerable amount of damage. Then she used her Mirror Slice. She charged at Cyrus with ferociously with powerful slashes, calling upon lightning bolts and fire as she sliced at the shizznit. Though the teenage swordsman blocked some of the strikes, most of the blows hit their target, and they were strong indeed. The attack was enough to throw Cyrus back. Lude and Adray had their own problems with the Maria clone. Lude threw a valley of punches and kicks, but the strikes were either blocked or evaded and only a few hit their target. Adray also tried his best. Even with his legendary swordsmanship and powerful symbology, the copy was strong and quick and was able to throw both combatants off from time to time. The duplicate Maria summoned her Radiation Bots. Four small drones hovered around her. As she kicked the two, the robots swarmed on Lude and Adray while shooting lasers at them. Adray was ready to use a new symbological attack, hoping to turn the tide of battle. Both replicas sensed Adray gathering energy and were ready to counter. Cyrus and Lude rushed to the scene and was ready to stop the two enemies. As a diversion, Lude attacked with Terminal Perforation. Lude punched rapidly, creating a strong wall of fists. Cyrus also joined him by using Blazing Tempest Flare. The fiery tornado didn't land serious damage to the clones, but it was able to hold them back along with the Terminal Perforation. Adray was ready to use his attack known as Southern Cross. Through a large portion of his power, Adray formed a large cross on the ground. At the end of the top three ends created a powerful blasts that delivered strong damage to the copies. During the attack, Cyrus saw a thin string reflect against the light coming from the cloned Nel. It was long and connected the back of the enemy's head to the forehead of the captive original who was showing signs of severe weakness. _"That's it!"_ Cyrus thought to himself. He also saw another thin line on the clone of Maria connected the same way. "Cover me, guys!"

"Affirmative!" Lude complied.

"On my way!" Adray yelped. Adray and Lude charged ahead of Cyrus and met up with the two cloned women. When he reached his companions and the foes, Cyrus leapt up and looked for any reflection from both strings. As soon as he saw them, Cyrus pulled out his lightsaber and slashed at Maria's cord while chopping Nel's with his Abysmal Offender. He landed crouched down with his swords crossed in front of him. The clones were still and silent as soon as he sliced the strings. That was until they collapsed on their knees and engulfed in waves of smoke. As soon as the waves dispersed, the duplicates had disappeared. The binds of the confined Nel and Maria also vanished and the two feel to the ground. Cyrus hurried to their location to check if they were alive.

"Holy shizznit!" Cyrus yelped. "Tell me you two are still living!"

Maria was the first to open her eyes. When they first opened, all she could see was a blurry and dark image. When she opened them again, she saw a clearer image Cyrus. "Cyrus..." she said. "You... You saved us."

"It wasn't me. If the others weren't here... I don't want to think about it."

"Thank you."

"I knew you would save us..." Nel's thin voice said.

"Even if time is of the essence, that won't mean I'll let anything happen to my homies."

"Cyrus..."

The rest of the group rushed over to Nel and Maria. "Are you two alright?" Fayt asked.

"We'll be okay," Maria said as she and Nel rose up.

Then she looked at Barriss, Lude, and Jack in confusion. "Who are they?"

"We're friends of Cyrus," Lude said modestly.

"From a dimension far, far away..." Jack replied. "But forget that. Right now, it's time to bust us a Catalyst!"

"He's right," Barriss agreed. "We need to catch up to Lystara!"

"Do you two think you're up to it?" Cyrus asked Maria and Nel.

"You bet!" Maria complied.

"Let's go!" Nel said. Before Cyrus left, he saw a large gem on the ground were Maria and Nel laid. He picked it up and inspected it. It was a black diamond and he sensed a strange power in it. He placed the stone in his pocket and rejoined his party. When they got to the enormous door, it automatically opened. Without wasting much time, they walked in the complex. The interior of the building was more immense than what was portrayed outside. They walked along a path that lead to a round platform. On the other side of platform was a large, shining tree that was bigger than anything they have seen. In fact, what they saw was the top half of the gigantic plant.

"Is that...?" Jack began to speak.

"This must be Yggdrasil," Mirage replied.

"It must be..." Albel muttered.

"I see that you have survived that ordeal out there," a familiar voice echoed throughout the room.

The party took their battle positions. "Give it up, Lystara!" Ransack shouted. "Stop this insanity! Now!"

"Oh I'll stop... Stop letting you live." As soon as she made that statement, a wild cackle was heard. Appearing in front of them out of nowhere was the seemingly omnipotent foe, Lystara Catalysta. Her blue eyes were glowing and the tails of her coat were violently rustling. As always, she still sported that sick grin of hers. "This is the end of the line my friends. In moments, I shall claim the power of Yggdrasil. My long awaited mission will be complete and there is nothing you can do about it! I will be the undisputed ruler of space and time. I will finally be... A GOD!" As soon as she said that, Lystara cackled so loud, the sound was deafening.

"Never!" Cyrus shouted. "Ever since we met, you have been giving us hell!"

"Not only did you try killing us on a daily basis through whoever, but you also committed heinous and unforgivable acts!" Fayt said.

"Not only did you destroy my universe, but you threatened the life of other realms," Ransack added. "We will not let you get away with that."

"Your reign of terror will come to a close!" Barriss replied. "This ends right here, right now!"

"In deed it will, and I will finally be rid of you insects once and for all! You can't defeat me, and I'll prove it by taking your souls." With that remark, Lystara pulled out her giant scythe and stood hovering a few inches off the ground. Everyone in the group party out their weapons. With "Supreme Ruler of the Nine Heavens" from Baten Kaitos playing in Cyrus' MP3 Player, the group charged at Lystara Catalysta full force. Cliff, Mirage, Peppita and Lude showered her with powerful punches, kicks, and cape swings, but Lystara blocked them with her scythe's handle, then swung it's massive blade. All four fighters were hit and fell hard on the ground. Before she could turn around, she was bombarded by bullet and laser fire from Maria and Jack. They were inflicting damage, but not enough as they seemed to be bouncing off her wings. With lightning speed, Lystara seemingly teleported in front of the gunners and chopped them with a slash from her scythe. The two suffered major damage. Sophia and Adray saw their comrades plight and were ready to aide them with their Fearie Light. Lystara saw them charging energy and was ready to attack. Luckily for the symbologists, Fayt, Cyrus, Barriss and Albel guarded the two spell casters and blocked Lystara's downward stroke. Fayt and Cyrus were able to inflict damage with their Raptor's Revenge and Side Kick, but Lystara evade. She then flew up in the air and increased the length of her scythe. She lowered the blade down to the ground and swung it left to right toward the group. This was her Pendulum Curve and it was injuring the members in the attack's path greatly, including Adray and Sophia. Barriss was able to dodge one of the strikes and use her Saber Throw. The Jedi's lightsaber was hurled at Lystara and made a direct hit. The airborne enemy turned her attention to the Mirialan and wacked her away with her scythe. Jumping toward her was Nel, Ransack, Rampage, Roger ready to strike. Lystara saw the four approaching. She raised her hand and a strong gust of wind blew the team back down to the ground below. "Is that the best you can do?" Lystara sneered to the fallen party. Mirage came up in front of her and inflicted some damage with a few powerful punches and kicks. Lystara countered with a strong blow with her scythe that made Mirage skid to the edge of the platform. Seeing the body almost ready to fall off the side, Albel hurried to the Klausian and grabbed her wrist before she fell to the abyss below. He strained as he tried to lift her, thanks to Lystara's Pendulum Curve. "Pathetic..." Lystara scoffed. She was ready to chop Albel until Cyrus and Nel intercepted her and attacked, using themselves as diversions to drive Lystara away. The foe parried blows against the Sacramento shizznit and the Aquarian spy as they to defended their share, but they proved no match by themselves and were thrown quite a distance from the enemy. Fortunately, Albel was able to pull Mirage back up while the two bought him some time. However, the Glyphian used up his strength while doing that and laid on the floor with Mirage.

"What's going on...?" Ransack asked.

"Our moves... aren't doin' shit...!" Jack said.

"It's not our attacks..." Maria said. "It's our speed..."

"She's right..." Cyrus replied. "Lystara is... using her speed and agility... We're barely... hitting her..."

"Then we need to... slow her... down and use... different attacks." Barriss said.

"The worm has some sense after all...," Albel hissed.

"And how do you suppose... we do that...?" Rampage asked. "Did you see... how she swung that thing...?"

As soon as they got up, Lystara looked at them smugly. "You just don't know when to quit, do you?" she sneered. "How amiable, how persistent." Then she guffawed. "Scratch that. It is absurd and poignant. Admit defeat and hand over your souls quietly."

"Never!" Nel shouted. "We've made it this far because we didn't give in! No matter what the obstacle or enemy, we continued!"

"Not only that, but it was our destiny that we're here!" Cyrus yelled. "It wasn't strength alone that got us to where we are now, we have faith in one another and our path was set."

"And not just that, we're fighting for our lives and everyone else's!" Maria said. "We will not go down that easily and allow you to get away with what you've done!"

"How touching," Lystara said. "You actually think that you can succeed with those silly beliefs and comradery. Unfortunately for you, it will not get you anywhere. Say good bye to your souls and your precious realms."

"Bring... It... On... Bitch!" Cyrus said with squinted eyes that made the red in them darken. The group rushed in to attack attacks. Cyrus and Fayt lead the opposition while Sophia and Adray cast recovery magic on their comrades and attack spells against Lystara. The enemy slashed at the team and defended against their attacks. However, the group seemingly managed to smother her with powerful punches, kicks and slashes. It appeared to be over, until she enlarged her scythe and spun it, generating a powerful miniature tornado around her which forced the group back. When Cyrus rose back up, he saw that Lystara was protected by some kind of barrier. "What now...?" Cyrus asked himself.

"Ha, ha! Bet you didn't expect a Nullspace Energy Shield, did you?"

"Damn it!" Lude spat.

"What's a Nullspace-whatever it is?" Cliff asked.

"A powerful barrier that is able to reform the molecular composition of any object to certain degrees. Only a few factors can penetrate it, and I mean very few."

"Shit..." Maria hissed.

"How do we get through that?" Fayt replied.

"I know a way," Cyrus said. Everyone turned their attention to the shizznit that was balancing himself on his Abysmal Offender. "We need to use hard hitting moves that cover large area or some long-range strikes which can be of service."

"That sounds like a good idea to me," Ransack complied. The entire party began to use their powerful attacks. Barriss bombarded Lystara with powerful blasts from the Force and her Saber Throw. Jack raided the enemy with his Bomb Bullets. Each time he fired his pistols, the shots made small explosions on impact. Ravage fired a powerful Zapmaster's Strike straight at the shield. Adray attacked with the Sirocco, a powerful attack where he fired himself in the air like a rocket and then slammed down on Lystara with full force. The entire field was covered in strong symbological energy and the enemy's shield was failing. Unfortunately for Adray, he laid on the ground, trying to recuperate. Albel called upon his Dragon Roar, sending a stream of dragons straight at the foe. Mirage also joined the party with her Blazing Cannon. Floating in the air, she fired a number of energy bolts at Lystara. Sophia summoned her Meteor Fall, bombarding the shielded Lystara with a meteor storm. Ransack fired Destruction Wave. She jumped and hurled a series of fireballs and beams of electricity at the shield, further weakening it. Cliff gathered enough energy to use Max Shockwave. He fired a large, powerful wave that passed the shield, but still did some damage. Roger attacked with Raging Helmet. He threw his head wear up and a dome of lasers fired, half of them hitting the shield. Peppita Pummeled the barrier through use of Fearie Friend. Rampage was able to use her Cyclone Dance, slashing vigilantly and powerfully, too. Maria launched a devastating Energy Burst, making a direct hit at Lystara's shield. At the same time, Nel used her Splitting Sky. She jumped in the sky and was enclosed in electricity, then she fired a powerful wave at the barrier. The attacks were doing serious damage to the force field, Lystara put up. However, everyone in the group were too tired to continue raiding the impenetrable dome set around the enemy, except for Nel and Maria who were giving it everything they had. In about a few minutes, their efforts were reward. Lystara's shield gave way and she suffered serious damage from the laser beam and the powerful wave.

"This cannot be!" Lystara shouted before she fired her Catalyst Beam. The powerful energy stream made a direct hit to both comrades, severely wounding them. She saw that the rest of the party was ready to deal more blows. "You will not defeat me!" With that said, Lystara was ready to use her Seraphic Storm. He body started to glow. When she lifted her hands, a large white orb formed above her. Before the team could attack, the orb fired straight into the air and smaller beams spread from the initial stream and slammed to the ground. The group tried to evade the pillars of light, but it was nearly impossible and a few were hit by the attack. When the attack ended, the platform was covered in limp bodies and deep potholes. "It's over!" shouted Lystara. "I am once again victorious!" Before she could say another word, she was silenced by a barely audible snicker from Nel. "What is so funny? You are going to die in a minute and you're... laughing?"

"You don't get it do you?" Nel said with a smirk. "Just because you think you have us doesn't mean we're done for. We will put an end to you."

"Besides," Maria added, "Aren't you forgetting a couple of people?"

Lystara scanned her surroundings, seeing the chaos she created and most of the group laying on the ground. It was after she counted the bodies that she realized something was wrong. "What? This cannot be! Where are those two go?"

Before she could continue her search, she froze from a dark laugh that was heard above her. "So much for godhood, eh Lyst?" it sneered.

Lystara looked up and saw Cyrus and Fayt hovering above them. "No!" she yelped.

"Yes!" Cyrus replied. "Lystara, you claim to be the proprietor of fate and the one who will 'cleanse' time and space and recreate it to your own taste. That is just plain wrong, woman!"

"We told you we would avenge everything you destroyed," Fayt said. "It's time for us to pay you back for what you have done."

"You cannot stop me!" hissed Lystara. "I am Lystara Catalysta! I am Alpha and Omega! I am the unsung ruler of time and space! The master of souls and the existance of life! You will not stop me!" Lystara lept towards the two, wings spread, the blade of her scythe longer, the pole of the weapon enlarged. Cyrus and Fayt had already charged up enough energy to unleash their final attacks. When the enemy reached them by a few feet, Cyrus and Fayt unleashed a devastating combo of Ethereal Blast and Shadow Blast. As the team below watched the powerful moves, Lystara was trying to push against the immense force of the energy blasts. The tactic worked to no avail and she was forced hard to the center of the field while receiving the direct damage. At the same time, waves from the Ethereal Blast and the tall pillar of Shadow Blast formed over the epicenter, the area where Lystara laid. During this time, the group was healing themselves. In a few minutes, the powerful moves ended, leaving a large crater in their wake. Standing unsteadily, was a smoldering Lystara. Her magnificent wings were beginning to loose their feathers. Her clothes were ripped and her hair was messed up. The only thing that kept her from falling back into the hole was her scythe that she balanced against. "This... This cannot... be..." she said in disbelief. "How... could I... I be defeated...? I am... omnipotent...!"

"And now, for the finishing blow!" Cyrus shouted. He landed back on his feet, and with Fayt, rushed at Lystara.

"No!" Lystara shouted. With the remainder of strength she had, Lystara raised her scythe and slashed open a wormhole and slipped through it just before Cyrus and Fayt dealt the finishing strike. "You may have won this fight, Cyrus, but I have something that makes me the true victor; your past!"

"What are you talking about?"

An echo of laughter was heard throughout the building. "You'll know soon enough once I get my vengeance. I'll admit, you damn rebels might have weakened me, but mark my words: I'll be back! And the next time we meet, let's say you'll have to watch your own shadows, insects!" Her voice faded and it became clear that Lystara had left.

"Is it... Is it over...?" Barriss asked.

"I think so," Fayt said. "Is everyone okay?"

"Yes, we are," Lude said. "But that isn't important. What matters is that we have defeated that diabolical diety."

"He is correct," Ravage said. "We have stopped Lystara from achieving her fiendish agenda."

"Man, that was some tight shit!" Jack replied. "The way we was whooppin' on her, it was so kick ass, man! And then my man Cyrus be all like, 'Yo, it's time to lay it down!' Then my homie Fayt be all chillin' and sayin' 'Time to bust yo' ass up!' Next thing you know, boom-bang-bizzle-blast! Man that was some good shit, dogs!"

"I see that you were really enjoying yourself," Cliff said.

"So, what do we do now?" Nel asked.

"We need to find our way out of here and get home," Maria asked.

Suddenly, a large rip opened behind Barriss. "What the– it can't be!" she said in surprise.

"What's wrong Barriss?" Sophia asked.

"I can see... Mygeeto." The group bunched to Barriss' location. The wormhole showed a large city maintained on pillars built above the clouds.

"It's so beautiful," Peppita said.

"Where did this thing come from?"

"Perhaps it was the power of Yggdrasil," Cyrus said. "After all, it is the plant that links other worlds."

"Well, now that my mission is complete, it is time for me to return and head for Coruscant."

"Thanks for all your help."

"Don't thank me. I am glad that I got to meet you, even if our time was brief. However, I have a feeling we will cross paths again soon."

"You can count on that." Cyrus held out his arm and Barriss replied by shaking his hand.

"Farewell." With that good-bye, Barriss ran through the wormhole which closed after her entry.

"Say, home boy," Jack asked.

"Yo, somethin' wrong?"

"What are you going to do?" Lude asked.

"Well, since Lystara swore her return, it's best that I stay with these guys."

"Are you serious?" Cliff asked.

Cyrus turned to the Klausian and grinned. "Straight up, dude. Not only could I learn more stuff, but I'll also improve my skills just as Master Diogo have me do."

"Then we're stayin' too," Jack replied.

"Say what?"

"That's right," Jack said. "What's the point of going back? I mean, everythin' was dull and boring. Nothin' to do but pick up chicks and having to put up with Schwarzenager. Why do we need to go back, anyway? We're geniuses, dammit!"

"I guess someone will have to watch you guys," Lude said. "The last thing we need is for you two doing something insane."

"Can we, please..."

Fayt thought about it. "Well... You did help us through everything we came across..."

"You three proven to be powerful allies, despite your age," Adray said.

"Plus, we wouldn't have been able to fight off Lystara without your help," Nel said.

"True, true, so very true," Jack stated 'humbly'. Lude elbowed him hard on his arm to quiet him.

"I guess it's okay..." Fayt said.

"Sweet!" Cyrus yelped in glee.

"All right!" Jack shouted happily.

"This is going to be an adventure in itself," Lude replied.

"We want to stay as well," Ransack said.

"Thanks to Lystara, our worlds are nonexistent," Ravage said.

"Please let us," Rampage pleaded.

"It's only fair, I suppose," Maria said.

"Okay!" Ransack said. "Well what are we waiting for? Let's get going."

At the center of the platform, a wormhole that showed the Palmira Plains, opened. One by one, the group went through the portal until all sixteen members made it through. Once they arrived, the team headed to the Royal City of Aquios to report everything to the Queen about defeating the Creator and their victory over Lystara. News of their travels spread fast throughout the land. On that night, the group was treated to a celebration for the challenges they faced. Also, they decided to stay for a week on Elicoor II as a vacation. For the first few days after their victories, Cyrus was busy. He helped Lude open a dojo in Arias that taught different self-defensive styles. He also spent time with Roger and Jack who started preaching the many teachings of Snoop Dogg (I couldn't help but to put this stuff in). Aside from that, Cyrus spent his free time training and listening to his MP3 Player. However, what he didn't know was that his vacation was going to be cut shorter than he expected...

* * *

Author's Note 3: Well that's the end of this story. Finally, our tale of Cyrus has come to an end. NOT! As soon as I submitted this chapter, I will submit another story in the Kingdom Hearts section by the end of the month. So, the saga continues here just where it leaves off. Think you can handle this one. Also, I like to thank all of you guys who have read my story and thanks for the reviews. 


End file.
